So Tage had, in his own words, “the best birthday ever.” As usual, we started the day with presents for the birthday boy (Legos were heavily featured), and after he took a break for a mercifully brief visit to the dentist, the party moved to Boda Borg, where he joined forces with Olof, Petra, and Brynja to face a series of challenges while I enjoyed a quiet afternoon at home with my mom and Yrsa.

On their way home from town, the conquering heroes stopped by the grocery store and picked up a birthday cake and some other tasty treats, which we enjoyed as they regaled us all with tales from the day’s adventure. It turns out they didn’t complete any challenges, but the trip was nevertheless a success by all accounts.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a kid be so unequivocally positive about a birthday, and it was nice not to have had a single thing go wrong. When he told me he didn’t want to have a party — or even to take a friend along to Boda Borg — I was a little afraid that he’d regret the decision later. I should have known better, though; even at his tender age, Tage is someone who knows his own mind, and second-guessing himself is just not something he often does.