Seventh Heaven

Abby woke up Friday morning to find the house completely decorated in honor of her seventh birthday.  Needless-to-say, she was in heaven!  Banners, balloons, presents & party hats.  And of course a surprise visit from her favorite Elf on a Shelf, Jase.

She fielded an early morning phone call from her grandma, assembled around the little table for homemade waffles with strawberries, whipped cream AND sprinkles, then it was off to first grade for the very first time as a seven-year-old.

I came to school in the afternoon with ice cream cups in hand to celebrate with her class.

Abby wanted to go out for Chinese for supper, so up to Huber Heights we went to our favorite Chinese buffet, then came home for a birthday bath and finally opening presents and chatting with Grandma & Grandpa Phillips.  We capped off our night the way we conclude every birthday, snuggled together reading On the Day You Were Born.

Daddy planned a Saturday outing in honor of the birthday girl, so off to EnterTRAINment Junction it was for an afternoon at the world's largest indoor train display.  Not only was it an impressive collection of model trains throughout the history of railroads in America, but it is also home to amusement mazes and a kiddie play land.  The girls loved it.  And we all loved being together.

And after all of that, if you ask Abby the best thing about her birthday she'll tell you, "Being seven."

Happy Birthday, Abby!

A Whole Handful

Everyone should have a Lauren.  She continues to walk around the house saying, "Happy Birthday."  Then she will turn to whatever little friend happens to be accompanying her at the time (usually Rock or Scooby) and replies, "Oh thank you, you're so nice to think of my birthday."

As Abby so joyfully informed Lauren this morning, she is a whole handful now.  Our handful woke up this morning to find her friends having a birthday party at the little table.  After breakfast she took her bike for a ride around the house, went to preschool where she celebrated with her class & a round of dirt dessert.  After school one of her best friends came over to play and celebrate her birthday.

They had a great time playing hide-and-seek, blowing bubbles, riding bikes, and playing with toys.  It was everything Lauren had hoped for, minus the sibling rivalry that kicked into overdrive when Abby joined the mix.

All in all, my little handful had a happy, happy birthday....

{It's Party Time!}

{I Got a Bike!}

{I'm a Handful!}

{A Preschool Birthday}

{Bubble Up}

{Bike, Bike, Baby}

{My New Wenatchee Shirt}

{Scooby Jammies}

{A Fishing Pole?!}

{The Blow-Out}

{Goggle Girl}

Party On, Abby

It's Abby's first birthday celebration with friends.  I can only imagine how big the crowd would have been if we could have included our entire collection of family and friends from around the country.... Oh the fun!

Abby had a nice mix of school friends from kindergarten and preschool, and some friends from the neighborhood.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and I know quite a few happy parents whose children will sleep well tonight!

{Life's the Pits}

{♫Happy Birthday♫}

{Party Crowd}

{Parachute}

{Everybody In}

{Twist and Shout}

{Ring Master}

{Gifted}

That's How We Bowl

Abby's 5th birthday was graced with a visit from her Aunt Heidi & Uncle Kevin, who flew all the way from Washington to celebrate with us! To mark the occasion we took in an afternoon of bowling. These two videos pretty much frame our outing.

As always, you will want to pause the playlist on the right side of the screen to hear the audio accompaniment.

Spare Blow

Tiny Bowler

Turning Thirty-Two

Each morning of my birthday since I can remember my first waking moments are spent thinking, "Today is my birthday!" When I was younger it was always a feeling of excitement.... the special cards, happy birthday wishes, gifts. All for me. All about me. The milestone birthdays were especially important, packed with new privileges that only that magical birthday can bring. And then some time in my mid-twenties the realization that the big Three-O was creeping up began to cast a cloud over my birthday. When the day of the big Three-O arrived it was filled with clouds. And rain. But it was also filled with family & friends who gathered to wish me a happy 30th, a happy golden birthday. It was a great day.

But turning 32.... I guess a mother of two preschoolers should expect nothing less than what I got on my 32nd birthday. I was awakened at 4-something by the word, "Mommy!" No time to even think, "Happy Birthday to me." I ran to the bathroom, grabbed the puke bucket, and cleaned up my lovely. The rest of what should have been our sleeping hours was spent either catching the projectile or waiting for another round. I woke up on the floor of our family room, our traditional staging area for the ill. Lauren crawled into our make-shift bed with Abby & I when she awoke, and the girls and I snuggled, watched a little Good Morning America, I fielded a few early bird birthday calls, and then the best gift a 32 year-old mom could ask for erupted around me. My girls serenaded me with their misstepped version of Happy Birthday To You. It couldn't have been more perfect!

Thank God for that moment. The day just went downhill from there. Oh Abby felt better, and there were no more vomiting episodes. And Geoff did come home at lunch with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. But there were countless behavioral issues, followed by burnt take-out and a homemade birthday cake that was short on frosting. And I did receive several phone calls, e-mails, cards and Facebook birthday greetings, which in themselves truly helped to salvage my spirits. I've certainly had better birthdays, but I'm quite happy to be walking in my shoes.

So how do you follow a day like that? Well, if you're a mother of these two lovelies, you start the next day with a peaceful walk so early the sun has not even begun to rise wearing those comfy worn-in shoes. You admire the clear skies and vibrant stars, and then you become a casualty of the darkness, and step in your own dog's steamer.

I'm still quite content to be walking in my own shoes.... I just keep them out of the house. At least until I can be sure all of the poop is off.