Hadrien's 3rd Birthday (Cont.)

Hadrien hosted an intimate dinner with family on his birthday. He chose Fely J's - a "comfort food" place in Greenbelt 5 run by the same people who own Abe's in Serendra and Cafe Adriatico in Malate. Gramps, Gramma, Papa, Mama, Aunties Genni and Ritchie, Uncle Jolly and Tita Kristine, Graunties Enya and Neny, Granuncle Ernie and Uncle Japes, and Yaya Dora and Lita were all there!









Hadrien was early, and entertained himself by drawing with his pastel crayons:



He's in his Jackson Pollock phase, apparently. Here he explains to Auntie Genni that the black part of the painting represents "darkness" (his word - he didn't say, "night").



The "darkness" is riven by flashes of red ("fire") and yellow ("lightning"). But apparently there's a double meaning: the red and yellow also represent the "sun" - it's rising because it's almost morning. The Grandparents' Committee was impressed and congratulated him on his latest work:



It was a good meal, and later the waiters and waitresses came out with a birthday cake (actually, three slices of cake with candles on top) singing "Happy Birthday!" loudly, startling Hadrien who, nonetheless, responded with equanimity and his "nguso" style of candle blowing.







He was so excited to be the center of attention that he wouldn't eat at first, until Daddy (pretended) to call Teachers Maica and Weng to tell them that Hadrien wasn't eating his meal. With his "No, no, no!" he immediately began eating prompting Auntie Ritchie to remark that I was playing off his desire to maintain his "good boy" public image in school!

The ebullient host, in his favorite Doraemon shirt, shown here with his entourage:



He rolls 15 deep!