Thursday, January 10, 2013

Catching Up - A Birthday Party

You know, one of these years I am really going to get my act together and do something great for Gracie's birthday.  Not that she's ever complained, but as a person with a late summer birthday, I remember often being disappointing that end-of-summer activities got in the way of birthday celebrations, and as a result, I always fret about Gracie's birthday.

Gracie's actual birthday was spent (again!) at church camp.  At first she wanted to go to camp.  Then she did an about-face and said she didn't want to go to camp.  When I asked why, she said it was because she didn't want to ride the birthday "throne"(potty chair) to dinner on her birthday.  "It's EMBARRASSING!" she wailed.  I assured her that she would not have to ride if she didn't want to, so camp was all good again.  Fast forward to camp.  The day before her birthday I double-checked with her.

"Okay, I told Pastor Charles that you didn't want to ride the birthday throne for your birthday.  That's what you want, right?"  I asked.

"Well, I suppose I could ride in the chair.  It would be good for me to learn how to deal with being embarrassed," she replied in her most  wise, knowing voice.

I relayed the message to Pastor Charles, who was impressed with her desire to build her character.

Doesn't she look like she's despising this moment?



Once we got home we had swim meets for two weekends, followed by a trip to Texas, and then BOOM, school started, so it was a full month past Gracie's birthday before we were able to gather the friends she wanted and have a small (but feisty) sleepover.

Gracie's party theme was "water."  We played water games, although I think the favorite game by far was trying to soak Daddy.  That's what he gets for being a little too enthusiastic with the water balloons!



I did my best to make an underwater cake, copying a dolphin off a greeting card, and the rest off of a google search for "Ocean Cakes". 


Maggie provided the instrumentals for a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday", and then the girls settled in for a movie (or two.  Not sure.  I went to bed.) 



As usual, the girls had a good time.  I suppose birthday sleepovers fall under the adage, "Better late than never!"  

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