Birthday Bugs and Cakes on Fire

From Hasmig: A different kind of bug visited us in Yerevan today.  Birthday boy Sevan caught an upset stomach, throwing a wrench in the day’s plans.  Luckily, he was born 6:30am California time so had a day and a half to recover and still find a window of July 5^th in which to celebrate. 

  We are fortunate enough to have a village doctor and 4 village mamas among our crew, plus an expert vomit mopper godfather—so we are prepared for this bug and any of its siblings that decide to join the party.   In the end, the day offered some sweet moments for me and Sevan: tandem napping, reading out loud, watching a movie, and talking lazily about life while staring up at our crème colored ceiling catching waves of cool air from the humming air conditioner.  It wasn’t the Armenian birthday we had planned, but I suppose as he gets older, sitting still and staring at the sky together will be the moments I miss the most.  

Feeling better the morning after...

 

From Sevan: I woke up for my birthday on July 5^th in Armenia feeling happy and healthy.  That changed quickly in the middle of the morning when I felt sick everywhere, like in my head in my stomach.  I was feeling like I was going to throw up, which I did. I felt like poo. Which I also did.  So we were planning on going to the pool but I did not go. Instead, I stayed home and watched a movie and I took a nap.  I felt disappointed. 

  Later that night my Medzmama (grandmother) cooked a giant feast for my birthday but I was not able to have it.  

Miracle Medzmama does it again in a less-than-equipped kitchen and 90 degree heat

Lost some color during the day...

 The presents I got were out of this world.  I got a pocketknife with the Armenian flag on it attached to a dead snake (in a keychain).  I also got so many magnets that I could use because they were “Sevan” magnets.  In America I would find nothing with my name on it but here, I find everything with my name on it because Sevan is a big lake here.  It’s completely different and so awesome! 

 Then came time for the cake!  It had my name in Armenian on it!   

Thank you to Mokalah (Dzovag) for picking up my cake and to Magoo (Chaghig) for finding the crazy candle...

The support staff...super compassionate and loving cousins

My cousins sang Happy Birthday in Armenian to me and as a candle, there was a giant sparkler and when I say giant, I mean GIANT. 

There were five in the package. We decided to stick to one...

 The cake was chocolate and tasted amazing.  I couldn't have that much of it because I was sick but the piece I had was good, and it was the only thing I ate all day!  Luckily, the cake pretty much stayed down.   

 To be ten years old doesn’t feel any different until maybe when I get to school and other people I know will be ten.  The thing I’ll probably most remember from my Armenian birthday is that I was sick. Luckily, when I woke up feeling better today, it was still my birthday in California so I felt delicious.  Sevan out.

Today, Armenia is lonely. 

 Quote of the Day from Sevan:  "Thank you, mama.  Can we try again tomorrow?"