Some folks from our street and the street behind it gathered for some Memorial Day weekend fun at our neighbors two houses down from us. We had food and fun on a beautiful day.
The kids had fun with water. Molly really liked these water sprayers.
When I tried to photograph Leah with the water sprayer, she decided she should spray me. I thought I was out of range. I was wrong.
Nine days after my birthday, it was Jen’s turn. She seems a bit surprised by Molly’s gift of some Bluetooth headphones.
Jen appreciated Leah’s gift so much, she needed a squish kiss.
The evening of Jen’s birthday we went to Grams’s house to celebrate both Jen and my birthdays with my family.
Aunt Caroline brought back a bunch of gifts from Costa Rica, including birthday gifts for Jen and me, this book she's reading to the girls, and the wooden frog instruments the girls are holding.
Our church is now 60 years old, and we had a big celebration. We had a cookout, a DJ, an Irish band, and a bunch of other fun stuff. There was even a silly photo booth complete with props.
The celebration also included fun activities from Club Scientific like this rocket. It's similar to a stomp rocket, but uses a bike pump and flies a lot higher (up to 1,000 feet).
These screaming rocket balloons were a big hit with Leah and Molly. They just kept inflating them and then letting them fly over and over.
The balloons didn't fly too quickly, but they could go pretty high.
Leah also took a turn on the rocket.
I'm not sure what was so funny.
Ready to launch.
They also had a fossil dig set up for some junior archaeology, which Molly and Simon really enjoyed.
Leah and Matilda took a break from playing on the playground to watch a Chinese lion dance going on next to the playground.
The lion dance (and accompanying Kung Fu demonstration) captured the attention of the girls and adults alike.
The celebration was a lot of fun, and jam-packed with stuff to do. There was a lot more that we didn't have a chance to participate in (corn hole toss, dizzy bat tricycle race, kickball, and more). Perhaps we should celebrate like this every year.
It’s official. I’m old. Old enough to be the President of the United States. For the big day we went to a fancy dinner at Mediterranean fast food restaurant Garbanzo for a preschool fundraiser, then headed home for presents and cake. The girls gave me a gift certificate for some new glasses to replace the ones that shattered when hit by a basketball a couple weeks ago.
Naturally, when G'Mom and Grampa sent a package with presents, the girls are not left out. These new shirts and a new book were part of the fun.
It's a good thing we don't have another kid to blow from the 4th direction. Otherwise, all our breaths might have canceled each other out.
We spent much of Mother’s Day with my mom (crazy, I know). These girls love their Grams.
Leah loves Grams’s charm bracelets, and wants Grams to explain each charm every time we get together.
The girls were very excited to find their Easter baskets filled on Easter morning. Thankfully, I’d told them the night before that they had to wait patiently in their room until a reasonable hour before getting us up to head downstairs.
Molly seems to think her new bubble wand is Excalibur. The crazy glasses complete the look.
Leah was quick to crack open this new pirate princess book.
After church, we gathered with family at Grams’s house. Molly decided to be the photographer for the day, and wandered the house taking pictures with my camera. She even got this mirror selfie to prove it.
Leah loves it when Uncle Scott lifts her up. Note that this picture was also taken by Molly.
A couple of months ago, Jen got an email from her friend Kelly proposing something a bit crazy. Her daughters Keira (Molly's age) and Maya (Leah's age), who have been friends with our girls since they were infants, both have birthdays within a few weeks of one another. Kelly's brother works at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts. Kelly wanted to see if people would come to a birthday party there.
This sounded crazy to drive to Philly for a kid's birthday party, but the circus school sounded like a lot of fun. Also, there was talk of staying the night and going to the Please Touch Museum the next day, which has been on our to-do list for some time. So, we said we'd love to join in the fun.
When we arrived at the circus school, they split the participants up into adults and kids. Jen participated, but I stuck to the role of photographer. Then it was time for the warm-up. Here the kids warm up the spring in their legs.
Molly and Leah are getting stretched out.
Balance is an important skill for tight-rope walking and other circus arts. The 4 and 5 year olds started off working on balancing on things much more narrow than a normal balance beam (such as this 2x6 on end).
Molly’s group started out on the silks. I think she’s having fun already.
Jen’s group of adults started on the trapeze. Getting your legs onto the bar in order to hang upside down is tough.
Sitting up onto the bar isn’t easy either.
Pretty soon after getting started, Molly was hanging around upside down.
Look, Ma… no hands.
After the groups switched locations, it was Jen’s turn to try her hand at the silks. The adults did fewer upside-down hanging from your arms tricks, and instead kept their feet under them.
Nice pose, Jen.
Leah’s group moved to the trapeze. She had an easier time getting her legs onto the bar than the adults. Must be all that gymnastics she does.
Looks like she’s on the swingset at the playground.
This picture needs no explanation. Jen and Kelly’s faces say it all.
I don’t think this pose is actually relaxing, but it looks like it is.
Climbing is another important skill. They showed the kids proper technique, but Molly mostly just pulled herself up with her arms alone.
I never quite understood this activity the little ones did, but they seemed to enjoy it.
Jen paid more attention to proper climbing technique than Molly.
I’m beginning to think Molly prefers being upside down to right-side up.
Here’s the gym we were in, complete with lots of things hanging from the ceiling.
After the fun, it was time for a little lunch, or dinner. What do you call it when you eat at 3:00? Let’s go with linner. Molly was happy to get to sit next to one of the birthday girls.
These birthday girls are having a good time.
After eating, a couple of our instructors put on a show for us. I got video of the first, Christine, having some fun up on the silks.
The second performance was performed by Jackie flying through the air on the hoop. She used Disney princess music (The Glow), which the girls loved.
All the kids and a couple of the instructors after a fun party.
After the party and some dinner out at the Trolley Car Diner, we stopped at Miles Park in Whitemarsh to have some playground fun before heading back to the hotel. For some reason, the kids loved this seesaw. They would have stayed on it the entire time if we had let them.
I don't think we'll make a habit of road trips for birthday parties, but this was a lot of fun.
The birthday party was so action-packed, there was no time for opening presents. So, after everyone left, Molly tore into them. She got lots of great presents, but the biggest one of all stood almost as tall as her. What could be in this giant present from Grams?
The number 1 item on Molly’s wish list - a telescope. One of her friends gave her a space book as well, so she’s ready to explore the universe.
Of course, what birthday would be complete without a photo-op with the maternal grands?
For her seventh birthday, Molly decided she wanted an American Girl tea party. Something fancy and fun and all the guests could bring their dolls with them. Of course, girls were welcome to bring any doll - not just American Girl ones.
We created a banquet table for all 14 girls. Jen added the fancy decorations and place settings. She fixed fruit, muffins, turkey croissants, scones, and strawberry wafer cookies and stacked them on three-tier serving plates.
Molly requested chocolate cupcakes with pink icing. Jen obliged (but next time, no fancy pink wrappers that stained her baking pans and proved more difficult to unwrap!).
While brainstorming about the party, I thought the girls would have fun having a doll fashion show. They could dress up their dolls, walk them down the runway, and have their picture taken along the way by the photographer (me). So, I built this doll runway out of some plywood and 2x4’s, then Jen made a skirt and covering for it.
The party began with a craft that the girls could work on as they arrived. Jen showed them how to make rainbow tutus for their dolls.
Haley was very focused on making her tutu.
After making doll tutus, it was time for tea. Well, they didn’t actually drink tea. They had the option of hot apple cider or pink lemonade. Many actually chose the apple cider, though quite a few changed their minds after tasting the warm drink.
While the girls had tea, their dolls waited patiently on the couch with their bags in front of them.
Grace and Molly toast to a new year of life. May 7 be even more fun than 6.
The girls loved the goodies Jen had made. Abigail even asked Jen for the recipe for the scones.
As the girls had tea, the weather outside took an unexpected turn. We were expecting to have a rainy but relatively warm day. So, we were very surprised to look out the window during the party to find this. It ended up snowing most of the rest of the day, though it had been so warm that it all turned to slush quickly.
After tea, it was time for cupcakes and candles.
After tea and cupcakes, we moved on to another craft - making bracelets. The girls each made two - one sized for them and another sized for their doll.
They picked beads out and strung them on clear plastic strands.
You have to be very careful to ensure the beads are close together but don’t bump out of place.
No goofing off here. Everyone is head down, hard at work.
Some of the beads had letters on them, which meant we all spent a lot of time searching for certain letters to spell names.
I don’t know how Haley pulls off this tongue trick.
Yes, it’s time for girls to make silly faces at the camera.
Nice face Molly. And nice job trying to steal the shot, Grace.
Next, all the girls got their dolls dressed for the fashion show. We have lots of doll clothes, so there was plenty for everyone to wear.
Cora is looking exceptionally sweet with her fashionable doll ready to go down the runway.
Time for the runway show. Of course, the birthday girl was up first.
Notice that Jen made Molly and her doll (also named Molly) matching dresses.
You may have also noticed my laptop in the above picture. To make the runway show more exciting, I gave the girls live photography. My camera uploaded pictures as I took them to my laptop. I wrote a small app for my laptop to notice the new pictures and display them on the TV on the wall. So, the girls not only got to walk the runway, they also got to see themselves on the big screen as they did so.
Leah was of course second in line. Jen also made Leah and her doll, Rose, matching dresses.
Camryn’s doll skated down the runway.
Abigail’s doll is ready for a masquerade ball.
Flowing colors surround Grace’s doll.
Maria’s doll was ready to head straight from the runway to the soccer field.
Cora’s doll has it all - hat, dress, necklace, and boots.
Elsa cooled the show down as Keira escorted her down the runway.
Riley’s doll Miranda is looking very elegant.
Alyssa lights up the room.
Haley found an outfit for her doll to match her own. Also, you can get a bit of a glimpse of the live fashion photography on the wall above.
Ariana’s doll is ready to take on the snow that’s falling outside.
14 girls, 14 dolls. Fun for all.
I think everyone had a great time. I don't know that I'll build platforms and write custom apps for every one of the girls parties, but it was definitely fun this time.
Per Molly’s request, we went to Red Robin (one of the only places around that still sings for birthdays) for her family birthday dinner with the Sellers side. Molly made this birthday hat for herself to make sure the staff there knew it was her birthday.
Leah had fun playing with Aunt Caroline much of the evening.
As they always do, Aunt EA and Uncle Scott entertained with a singing card. Unfortunately, Red Robin is too loud to hear it, but we’ve heard it many times since we got home.
It was a monster-themed evening, including some Monsters University toys like Art here.
Molly also got both the new Monsters University as well as the original Monsters, Inc.
Our real reason for being there was of course the singing and sundae for a birthday girl.
You can even relive the magic in this video of the singing.
Sunday was Molly's actual birthday, so we opened some presents in the morning before church, including a couple of jump ropes.
Leah gave Molly a couple of hula hoops. While Molly can spin these crazy fast, when Chad and I gave it a go, hilarity ensued. I laughed so hard my sides hurt!
Molly also opened the present from Aunt ‘Chelle’s family while video conferencing with them. We did this for Emmie's birthday, and the kids really love seeing each other's reaction to the gifts.
