Fourteen Years in the Making

This is about as current as you are going to get around here, unless you'd like to hear about the laundry I just put in. (No? Well, I'm not thrilled by laundry either.)

June had a birthday. It was crazy busy and so much fun. It was made busier and crazier by the fact that I was out of town until right before her birthday. But everything was done in time and it went off like a dream. (If your dreams are full of popcorn.)

But let's not get ahead too quickly. First, June went out to lunch with Dad as usual. Except this year I didn't have any kids at home, so suddenly I decided to be a party pooper and join in the festivities. (Why shouldn't I have lunch with them? It seems like the right thing to do.) June eats like a real person, (meaning she isn't picky) so we went to Smashburger. So delish!

Then I brought balloons to school for the birthday girl. Bet you can't guess her favorite color.

My gift to June was to take her to get her nails done after school. She had the option of nails or a pedicure. She opted for nails.

Gel nails are so cute and they last a long time. They look great on her.

We came home to get everything squared away for the party. June said something very sweet. As I was showing her the work I had done, she suddenly exclaimed, "You are the best mom! And I have the best friends!" This means a lot because this year is not a friend party year. So when June wanted a party, I told her that she would have to pay for it herself. And despite the cash she was shelling out, she was still very excited to get together with all her friends and play. We planned the 'Popcorn Olympics.' This is not a new idea since we did it two summers ago. But it seemed like a fun plan for a lot of kids. There was no way we were going to top our Fashion Party last year, so we went for something completely different.

While people were arriving, we played 'Sit on Your Neighbor.' It is called the Lap Game and we renamed it 'Share Your Seat' at one time. You can find rules here. This one always is a crowd pleaser. I now let those who get out early think of questions for the rest of the group.

Then it was time for the Olympics. We had a few events everyone would participate in, and then the kids got to choose three events. That was the only part that didn't go as smoothly. We decided just to raise hands for events. I'm not sure if there was an easier way, but this method seemed to work okay.

Our first event was a group event outside. The epic popcorn toss which we also did for Fete Day one year. We chose partners randomly and went to town. Each person had a chance to throw. I paired up with Robyn since we were uneven and she happened to be the person without a partner,

June and Josie snagged a second place in this event. Robyn and I got third. Aaliyah and Maycee were our first place finishers.

Our second event was the popcorn swap, moving pieces from one bowl to another. I believe Christina rocked this game.

We made so much popcorn. I think we popped 20 bags in all. Kids were eating all night. We put it in a great big pot and scooped out cupfuls as needed. Ivory tried to guard it between, but it was nearly impossible as you can see here.

Our third event was the popcorn blow. This was a fun one and we did it in bracket style like the Crack Off.

It's a good thing there was more popcorn, because there were hungry mouths at the end of the table and usually your piece of popcorn was consumed before it even hit the ground.

June made it to the finals, but Tamma crushed her. June's piece of popcorn didn't even leave the line. You can see why in this photo. You need to actually be blowing ON the popcorn for it to move.

Aah, Moxy. Always a favorite amongst the girls. If they can get their hands on her, she is constantly in arms.

Fourth event was the popcorn drop. The girls were pretty good at this.

Here you can see our contestant from a cup's-eye view.

We put girls on the backs of chairs so no one would tip over. Everyone had a job. If they weren't competing, they were counting popcorn or judging events.

The fifth event was the individual popcorn toss. Each person her their own judge. I was watching Brooke here. I love the focus in her eyes. (I'm sorry that I don't have winners for all these events. I can't remember who got what. It was a bit of a circus.)

But everyone was awarded their medal after each event. The candy keeps it simple.

Our sixth and last event was the distance throw, although we added points to make it interesting. (We had two more events, but we ran out of time and light.) Here is Lydia seeing if she can make the 20 point bowl.

Some people used their long arms and dumped as many pieces into the ten point bowl. Get the points how ever you like.

This is possibly one of the messiest parties we have ever had. We planned to do many events outdoors, but the light faded too quickly. So popcorn was EVERYWHERE. Look at this floor. And this is after we have swept a few times. Insanity.

All the girls brought toppings and we did sundaes at the end. Delicious and nutritious.

Oh, there is banana in there. See, nutritious after all. Good job on blowing out those four candles June!

Then gift opening. June's friends are really great. They showered her with love, candy, and money. When June paid me back for the party, she said she had exactly 14 dollars left from the money she got from her friends. That is a whopping $64 in birthday cash. (Hmm...would it be weird to invite all these girls to MY birthday??)

We gave out balloons with Pop Rocks inside to go with the popping theme. Note to self: It is crazy hard to get Pop Rocks into a balloon. After 20 balloons, I had formed and popped a blister on my finger without even knowing it. Ouch. (I guess I was sticking with the popping theme as well.) I love how my littles organized them by color.

When all friends had gone home, we opened family gifts, since it was supposed to be a family year. June loved everything she got. She makes great faces and makes everyone feel like their gift is perfect.

We didn't measure June until bedtime, so she had every last second to grow.

Sure enough, it is very official. June has left her mother in the dust. Well, maybe not the dust...but she is definitely taller.

I think June had a fantastic birthday. She got one more present the next day from Granny V. Vicki said these were just perfect for June. I think she should wear them at her concert this week.

Happy Birthday Juniper! You are an amazing part of our family. We love you bunches! You are beautiful inside and out. I love being your mother.