Iris Turns 5: Two Weekends of Celebrations

Iris turned five years old on June 21st! To mark the occasion, we celebrated across two consecutive weekends—first at the beach with her classmates, and then at home with family and close friends.

Weekend 1: The Beach Party in Marathon

For the first celebration with her classmates, we headed to the coast in Marathon—the historic town near Athens where the marathon tradition originated. We reserved sun loungers and set up a volleyball court right on the sand.

When we arrived to set up, a warm summer rain began to fall. Having an entire beach to ourselves in the quiet rain felt special, and the girls were so excited that we kept right on preparing. An hour later, as Iris’s friends began arriving, the clouds cleared and the sun came out.

Everyone jumped into the sea, played in the sand, and enjoyed the warm water. For the main activity, the girls organized a craft workshop: assembling and decorating wooden boxes with glue and beach treasures. The 5-year-olds loved getting messy and making their own keepsakes right on the sand.

It was also a special day for Zoé (10), who stepped into the role of big sister in a whole new way—guiding the younger kids, helping them with crafts, and keeping everyone included. Later in the afternoon, we hung a piñata directly from the beach volleyball net posts, followed by food, drinks, and a birthday cake by the sea.

Weekend 2: Family Barbecue & A Sunday Surprise

The second weekend fell on Sunday, June 21st—Iris’s actual birthday. We hosted a family barbecue at home, setting up the terrace and garden for a long afternoon together.

Having the family together meant a lot to us. With full-time work and ongoing health challenges for Katerina, family support has been essential. Protecting these joyful, warm moments and creating a happy space for Iris made the day especially meaningful.

Once the afternoon family gathering wrapped up, we had one last surprise for Iris. We invited her best friend, Kiriaki (whose name appropriately means “Sunday” in Greek), along with her sister Theano and their parents, for dinner at our house.

It turned into a full day of celebrating from morning to night. The house was a mess by the end, but everyone was smiling, happy, and went to bed exhausted with wonderful memories of Iris’s 5th birthday.