Birthdays All Around

June is a busy month for birthdays around our house.  Usually mine is slightly overshadowed by Kenna’s.  I’m okay with this because I don’t feel like Kenna gets enough attention at other times during the year.  The poor child often goes unnoticed (sense the sarcasm?).  Well this year was my big 3-0.  I hear this is a pretty big mile marker so I geared myself up for some letdown over turning 30.  It didn’t come.  Maybe it will when I hit 40.  

My mom came in to town on Monday and my dad came Friday.  They stayed for about 10 days so this meant Kenna got 10 days worth of birthday celebrations.  I think she was the one who experienced the letdown when they left.  She actually asked me what we were going to do to celebrate on the day after her birthday.  Kenna spent the time with Grandma buying an outfit for the first day of kindergarten (which she has since worn twice), shopping at target for consolations that he birthday had not yet arrived, drinking slurpies, swimming, and having someone to order around the house as she saw fit.  Usually the orders were to play with her or keep Callie away so she could play by herself.  Fortunately Grandma and Grandpa are good sports.  

Callie also enjoyed her time with the grandparents.  She developed a system for her day.  As soon as one walked down the stairs in the morning she said “Mahn gamma.  I ready cook uh egg.” (Come on Grandma, I’m ready to cook an egg).   For some reason this is what she says when she wants to play in the kitchen set.  I guess she’s heard me ask Kenna if she wants me to cook her an egg too many times in the morning.  It started out with Callie taking me into the kitchen set and saying “I cook uh egg? Yes peese”, to which I had to reply, “Yes please” and she’d begin playing.  Pretty cute.

 I got Kenna a banana after swimming one day and Callie ran up to me, asked for a banana then went and laid on the floor like Kenna.  They've taken to snuggling on the couch together and it is adorable!

 Callie loves swimming and has no fear in the pool but every once in a while she needs a break for her koko and monkey before she jumps back in.

So, to celebrate my birthday Nate wisely planned it the day before my birthday.  Kenna's party was on my actual birthday so he figured it would be overshadowed.  It was right.  At least 3 times that day I reminded her it was my birthday to which she replied, "Yeah but it's my party." So on Friday I was told to be ready to go at 11 and that I should have my hair done and make-up on.  I was.  Nate talked my friend Aimee into taking me shopping for the day.  She showed up with a cold beverage and my budget in cash which Nate had provided.  We went through that quickly.  Aimee said she is really great at spending other people's money.  I got a lot of great new clothes.  It's always nice to have a personal shopper with me because I'm never sure what to try on. We grabbed lunch after that and headed for home.  I had a great time and it was really nice of her to take me.

That night my parents volunteered to babysit so Nate and I could have a date.  They took the kids to McDonalds which htey were really excited about.  Kenna told grandma, "My mom never lets us go there." It's true.  I hate the food and would rather go hungry than eat there.  Callie didn't know what it was but she knew she should be excited for 'donalds'. 

To make a long story short, Nate took me out for a surprise dinner at hibachi.  Poor Aimee had to celebrate my birthday twice in one day.  I should have known something was up before we left the house.  Nate kept saying he wasn’t hungry yet and didn’t want to go to dinner yet.  When we finally headed over he started laughing and acting weird.  Apparently two cars of friends were in the turning lane right behind us.  Nate motioned to them to duck, which they did, which set him over the edge.  I knew it was a surprise party at that point but then when I walked in I couldn’t see anyone so I thought I was wrong.  I wasn’t.  They were just around the corner.  Dinner was delicious and the chef even made special rice for me.

 After dinner we went bowling which I haven’t done in close to 10 years.  It was a lot of fun and I figured out that if you look at the lines on the lane while you bowl instead of the pins, you do better.  Who knew?  No birthday would be complete without frozen yogurt so we hit up Sweet Frog after bowling.  It was a perfect day and I felt like 30 was thoroughly celebrated.

Kenna woke up bright and early for the day of her party.  I did get a 'happy birthday' from her before she shifted the focus back to her party.  She wanted donuts for breakfast.  Nate suggested I might want french toast since it was my birthday to which she replied, "Yeah but it's my party".  We got donuts.  They were delicious. 

We decorated, dipped marshmallow and oreos in chocolate, sorted out everyone's gift baskets and finally the time arrived for the party.  Kenna decided she wanted a spa party so we tried to keep activities spa themed.  First up were fabric tie flip flops.  In bad news, 5 year olds cannot tie knots.  That was an all hands on deck activity involving me, Nate, both my parents, one of the girl's mom, and our friend Jared (who's family has not yet relocated to Texas).  Then the girls got to pick a nail polish, got a plate of treats, soak their feet in little tubs with epsom salts, got drinks served to them and got their toes painted.  Another all hands on deck activity.  I was sweating by that point.

Lastly the decorated cupcakes with entirely too much frosting and candy, got a sugar high and opened presents just in time to go home.  After all that work I was done.  I had to remind everyone that it was my birthday and I didn't want to do anything (a card which I may have played all weekend long...)

 

 

 

 

 

 We got to eat barbeque that night and Nate and I topped it all off with a dusk run around the pond.  Sunday I got to have my birthday cake and play the birthday card for one last day.

Kenna woke up nice and grumpy on her birthday. She was especially disappointed that we had to wait for Nate to get home before she could open presents.  Luckily Grandma took her to target and got her a barbie to help console her.  Spoiled child.  Nate surprised us by coming home early so Kenna got to open her presents.   Just as she opened her last one the doorbell rang and Grandma Nancy's present arrived.  It was beautiful timing and Kenna was thrilled.  While opening presents Callie started singing 'Happy Birthday' to Kenna.  Cutest thing ever!

 

 

 

 

 After that we headed out for Kenna's birthday activity.  She oscillated all day between the zoo and the thundering cows (in Fort Worth) and finally decided on the thundering cows.  Five minutes into the ride she told us she was sure this time that she wanted to go to the zoo.  So we did. 

 Kenna's favorite thing to do at the zoo it ride the tram around.  It's quite a ways off the ground and apparently it is 10-15 degrees hotter up there than on the ground.  Luckily for us we got there just in time to catch the train ride before they had to shut it down for the day due to the heat (when it reads 103 in the tram cars).  hooray for 102!  It was very, very hot so we got slurpies and headed over to the kid's half of the zoo where Kenna and Callie immediately laid down in the water.

On the way to the tram there was a mom and baby monkey right up by the glass just hanging out and watching everyone.  The kids thought it was the coolest thing ever.

 

 The children's zoo has a petting zoo and a barn and birds to feed.  Callie loved all the animals and tried to hug them all.  She's put her face against the glass/cage/bars and say "oooohhhh" (her kissing noise).  She actually did get to hug the goat and went back in for seconds.

 

 We went to go feed the birds and everyone got to try one on for size.  Literally.  Even Kenna was willing to try it out.  The worker told her to hold still and I have never seen her hold so still in her life.  She was somewhere between exhilarated and terrified.  She barely turned her head when I told her to look at me.  Callie, of course, tried to hold and touch all the birds.  She got a couple nips and there were a few tears.

 

 

 

 We stopped by panera on the way home where both girls ate more than I have ever seen them eat.  We were all sweaty and tired, but Kenna as happy and it was a fun day.  We got home just in time to sing one more round of 'Happy Birthday' to Kenna and have some cake before bed. 

 

 It was a terrific weekend.  Kenna is now over her birthday PTSD, but Callie is not.  Every once in a while she will look at Kenna and say "Hap-uh-berday Kenna" or "I sing hap-uh-berday Kenna" (which she will).  It is pretty darn adorable.