That met with mixed reviews. But bless her at least for trying -- I was hiding in the kitchen at the time. The next activity went better, as the girls played a spirited game of "tape the carrot onto the snowman" (think pin the tail on the donkey...). Then finally we just popped tons of popcorn and sent them upstairs to watch a Fantasia for a while.
(The whole time, the cats were all shut up in the basement. Healy was howling nonstop at the basement door for two hours...)
After Fantasia, it was time for present opening, a very loud experience where even Abra herself had to ask everyone to quiet down.
Finally it was time for cake. Actually for cupcake. Abra had requested penguin cupcakes for her birthday, and Brenna pulled off a masterpiece of cupcake decorating:
So we impaled one of the penguins with a candle in the forehead and sang Happy Birthday
And then the girls proceeded to eat their penguins:
So then the birthday party wound down, the kids went home, the cats were let out, and Mom and Dad made a few stiff drinks to recover.Sunday morning we had round two -- presents from family. Here's one of my favorites -- the kid is a basketball fan, loves to watch Cavaliers games with us, knows all the Cavs by name (LeBron, Z, Boobie, etc), asks about the final score every morning when she wakes up, and so we got her her very own Cavs shirt:
After dad cleared the snow off the driveway, it was time to go sledding at Coventry playground. Here are the girls all bundled up and ready to ride.
And here they go! (Make sure you listen for Thalia's squeals of delight....)
And again:
For the grownups, sledding really becomes enjoyable when the kids are old enough to carry the sled back up the hill. Happily, this season we are at that point.
Thalia in particular liked to roll down the snowy hill:
Action!Then finally everyone got cold enough that we came home and made a fire and had hot cocoa.
Later we'll stick 'em in front of the TV with some new videos so that slacker mom and dad can watch the NFL conference championships in peace...Oh, and finally -- this will make her Yiayia and Papou happy -- for her birthday dinner Abra asked me if I could make Avgolemono Soup!
10 comments:
Happy Birthday to Abra! Good choice with the Penguin cupcakes. They look great!
What a great day. Happy Birthday Abra. The photos and the video clips will bring many happy hours in the years to come. Enjoy Abra & Thalia's age all you can. JBM
yeah...cuz before you know it they'll be John and Michael's age...
Such talent you've been hiding, Brenna. I want you to make my birthday cake. & good choice for dinner, Abra, especially on a lovely snowy day. Many happy birthdays ahead.
Those cupcakes are phenomenal! Brenna, you've got to teach Vic how to make them.
Blushing at the compliments!
Lisa, you may pass this on to Vic: Pillsbury. Or Betty Crocker. Seriously, I am a pretty good baker and can make perfectly yummy cakes from scratch. But if I'm going to mess with decorating, I'm generally doing a plain old chocolate or white or yellow cake. In that case, a mix is going to produce results just as good or better, with one-tenth the work. And the mixes are pretty cheap.
Abra selected the penguins from a book she got with her allowance at the school's book fair called, "Hello, Cupcake." Most of the stuff in there frankly is above my pay grade, but with a few minor simplifications I managed the penguins.
Also, Alice, I'm happy to make your birthday cake as long as we're in the same location for the big day! Just tell me what you want and don't request anything too terribly professional-quality, heh.
Every 7 year old should have this kind of weekend for a birthday celebration. The photos and movies are a real treat. The cupcakes are a stroke of genius. Yay!!! Another basketball fan - join me anytime, Abra! My favorite soup is Avgolemono, too.
And Healy can be happy now.
Package coming soon. Love, Aunt P
What an awesome day!
without a doubt the rolling-down-the-hill photo is tied for first place with the penguin-cupcake-brigade.
dang, DF wife, you are cool
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