Ever since Kimi watched Tangled, she had decided upon herself that her birthday will be Tangled and proceeded to tell anyone who'd listen that she is going to have a Tangled party.
My dilemma is that both kid's birthday fall on the same month and is just two weeks apart. The combined party was finally scheduled for Kimi's exact birth date but the theme we agreed upon was unisex because it was only fair to Kenzo since it was technically his birthday too. Fortunately, Kimi agreed and it was settled.
I was a bit guilty about trying to change the theme that Kimi has wanted months before so I decided to throw her a simple party in school just so she can have her own birthday to speak of. I told her teacher this week that I planned to bring in some foods and some gift bags for the kids in school.
Burnaby Montessori prides itself in being a sugar-free and peanut-free school. There goes the cupcakes and anything sweet to make the kids "sugar-happy" and I had to think of something easy for little hands to hold and something sweet but is sugar-free and looks good in the platter to make it appetizing for the kids. Knowing how handy I am in the kitchen, I decided to make my life easier and just stayed away from cooking and prepared something that is easy and requires cutting only.
* Birthday celebrant all ready for school
* Meatball courtesy of my mother in law
Easy to put inside the mouth and not messy at all :) PERFECT!
* Bejeweled Pick
I tried to put in some details of the Tangled element in this simple party with a jeweled pick for the platters
* Fruit and Sausage in Pastry Platter courtesy of Daddy and Mommy
I didn't realize that the Montessori has it's way of celebrating a birthday. I left the food and my camera for the teachers to take a picture of the event. I was surprised to get a picture with Kimi carrying a globe. What was that all about. It looks weird and Kimi came home telling me snippets from the celebration which I was not able to puzzle together, so I went to research what tradition it was for birthday celebration to carry a globe. I found out that birthdays in Montessori Schools has their way of celebrating.
* Carrying globe and circling the candle
* still going around
* Almost there...
Montessori Way also varies a bit but basically the candle was placed at the center of the room. I was curious as to why there is a candle at the center and Kimi was going around it so I looked it up and found out that the candle signifies the sun and the reason why the celebrant was holding a globe going around is to signify the month of the years, a complete circle signify a year and she stops.
According to Kimi, the class sings a song which according to her is "The Earth goes around the sun, the earth goes around the sun, the earth goes around the suuuuun..." , 1 clap for each age. Then the teacher will say, ...and Kimi turns 1.
She was required to share her milestone for age 1 which she told me was "she was crawling that time..."
...and goes another trip around the candle for age 2 "I play with my shoti..." which the teacher thought was "Charlie".... I told Kimi to tell the teacher that shoti is a Chinese term for "Little Brother"
....and the last, age 3, "I started pre-school."
* SnackTime
I love the tradition wherein there is a bit of learning and sentiment incorporated into it.
I just wished I searched upon their way before and prepared some pictures and whatever is needed to make the Montessori way of celebrating really complete. I was completely caught off guard that there was another way to celebrate a birthday (toink!). I guess I was not that prepared to do a school party and this was all fast planning but I was glad though to let Kimi experience the "Birthday- Montessori Way". Next year, I will try to ask the teacher if I can do the whole thing and witness it firsthand. My only regret is that I didn't leave my video camera which was tucked in my bag that time I left the goodies. I would have LOVE to see the event in person just so I can tell it as it really is and not relying from the recollection of Little Kimi.
* All in the class
I hoped the teachers was also included in the pictures... :)
As for the loot bag, I decided to go for Paper bag as a way to imitate the paper lantern in the Tangled movie and some personalized labels to make each bag much more special.
* Loot for the Boys
* Loot for the Girls
* * * * *
KIMIs 4TH BIRTHDAY
Burnaby Montessori
Nelson Branch, Burnaby
Canada
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