parties 1, 2 & 3

Party #1:
As I mentioned before, Claire lucked out and got three “parties” to celebrate her big day this year.

The first one was a friend party (it’s our “on” year for every-other-year parties this year).

It was the first birthday party in my mothering career I think I have ever put on outside the confines of our own home.

And I don’t even think I can say that I “put it on” because all I did was show up with the cake and an overflowing car full of kids. It was so nice to have someone else entertaining and even writing the gift-thank-you-note-list.

The night before the kids and I stayed up to make the cake.

We like doing cakes together.

This one isn’t our best, but it’s exactly what Claire wanted, and even had chocolate and yellow cake mixes swirled into those three layers.

Elle, who has somehow watched a show called the “Cake Boss” (in a home that rarely turns on the television), has convinced me we need to try out fondant next time.
So we showed up the next morning with our big cake and 23 kids and let the fun begin.If it’s true what they say (your birthday wish will come true in as many years as the number of blows it takes to blow out the birthday candles), I think we’ll maybe be getting a family dog in about fifteen years. 😉

Party #2:This one was her “mom” birthday where we had her fav. breakfast (french toast) and fav. dinner (hamburger stroganoff) and went out to her fav. lunch (my arch-nemesis, McDonalds).

Party #3:
(This one happened without me so please excuse the iPhone pictures…I applaud Dave with all my heart for taking them and capturing the day for me.)
Can it get better than an early-morning trip to Denny’s before school and having your Dad bring donuts to your class at school?

…Only if it’s followed by a trip to Texas Roadhouse for dinner: …and our first store-bought cake for dessert:
(My brother saved the day and took some pictures of that.)
Yep, I think this girl’s birthday was pretty well celebrated.

Seven is going to be a good year.

(Despite that it’s going to take 15 more years for us to get that beloved family dog…;)