Guess who turned...

Robyn had a great birthday. Actually, I think I enjoyed it quite a bit too. Sometimes I get stressed making sure presents are wrapped, cakes are made, and things are planned. The day held all those things, but they seemed to slide by. Have I possibly gotten a system that works? Am I ultra systematic and organized now? Probably not. It was most likely a fluke. But a good one.

There is so much to tell, but we may as well start at the top of the day. Robyn woke up to her first present. I was so excited to give her this present. She has been amassing Little Pet Shops. They have outgrown every container Robyn has and they are always within easy access of Pearl. (Luckily LPS' are very resilient, unlike the other three things Pearl broke this week, not to mention the plethora of furniture that Pearl colored all over. Okay, but let's not let this post dissolve into a rant about my current nemesis--the two year old.) I looked all over trying to find something to display her little figurines, but no dice. So, what do you do when you can't find what you want? Well, you make it of course. (Naturally this does not apply to everything. I think you are best off purchasing shoes at a store, unless of course you are great with leather and nails and whatever else goes into shoe-making. I confess to knowing nothing about it.) Tyler and I visited the local home improvement store and picked up some lumber, also known as thin boards. I should have taken a cool before picture, but we assembled most of it before I thought to snap a photo. But here I am working on it.

And behold the finished product.

Genius huh? I love it. Those picture were from before her birthday. I set the entire thing up and took pictures and then took it all down so that I could set it up again while she was sleeping the night before her birthday. I admit that I get really excited about surprises. But cool huh?

She woke up and was pretty happy with it and has been organizing it since. Sometimes by type of animal and currently alphabetically by name. (That is quite a feat considering she has over 60 pet shops. I would have trouble remembering all their names.)

Off to school she went and I was scheduled to come in as the guest reader that day. Every Friday her class has a mom come in and read stories. I LOVE to do it and when I realized Robyn's birthday was on a Friday, I signed right up. And even though I am a very good story teller, the kids are going to love you regardless when you bring treats.

I brought balloons too, but I took them home with me, since it was a SUPER windy day and I was having trouble managing them myself. Robyn would have been swept away. Plus, they were pretty temperamental balloons. Two popped in the car minutes after I left the store. (I went back in and got two more.) And then another popped at home. All these instances were completely unprovoked and no sharp objects were involved. I think these balloons just couldn't take the pressure.

Robyn comes home on the bus everyday and plays with her friend in what they call 'Dream Club'. I thought I would photograph her in her natural habitat. Here she is getting off the bus. (I need to remind her not to cut through people's lawns.)

She thought I came out to drag her home, but I told her she could still go to 'Dream Club'. She was so happy, she skipped away without touching the ground. She is such a hoot.

The afternoon was pretty low key once she came home. Robyn waited for the whole family to arrive so she could open presents. She visited on the phone with relatives and managed to keep herself busy.

And then suddenly everyone was there and it was time to open presents. This year, I think we got her exactly what she wanted and I was happy that she is still at an age that everything she wants doesn't break the bank. (Unless you count a puppy...I didn't get her that.) But, the five dollar Hoola Hoop might be her favorite. (And she's really good at it.)

I also love seeing the girls' little heads clustered together looking at stuff. I think Pearl is feeling left out here, or perhaps she is just practicing her normal routine of crying 3/4ths of the day. (Okay, that isn't fair. It's probably only 1/2 the day.)

And then we all ate cake right before dinner. It's just the mom I am turning into apparently. And I really wanted to try the Caramel cake that Robyn requested.

We took a bazillion pictures of her blowing out candles because she managed to blow them out one-by-one, but this is my favorite by far.

(Oh, and if you were wondering, the cake was okay. It was a little rich and tasty, but nothing to write home about. You win some, you lose some, and with some you get....meh.)

In the evening, Tyler took Robyn and a few of the girls out to skate. Robyn brought her best friend along and they spent the evening trying to stay off their keisters. I think they all had a good time, but the majority went home with a sore heiny. I stayed at home and watched Pearl, because I was sure that I would be chasing her all over the place and it seemed easier to skip it altogether, so no pictures. Actually, Tyler might have some on his phone. I'll have to check with him.

Robyn had a great birthday. She is such a funny, loving girl and we love having her in our family. I'm not sure where this picture came from, but I love it, so we'll throw it in here at the end.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBYN!!