Another Day Another Party

With a large extended family, there are many occasions for us to celebrate and, because of my ever-changing work schedule, I am happy when I get to attend these events. This time it was Eli's first birthday party at his Nana and Papa's house. Now the first thing you need to know about Eli's Nana, better known as Aunt Trish, to most of the rest of us (well Danny, his siblings, and all their significant others) is that Aunt Trish likes her house cold. It must be because she is so warm blooded because she has such a big heart. Knowing this I wore a T-Shirt under a sweatshirt thinking that would be enough. WRONG. Now the fact that I was freezing could have been because I was tired, who knows. I immediately sat on a couch and wrapped up in a blanket. Maybe when more people get here I'll get warmer.

So as I mentioned before we were all together for Eli's first birthday party. Danny and I had just started our diets again so we didn't want to eat anything. We managed to suffer through with me eating only some pretzels and fruit and both of us staying away from the meatball sandwiches as well as the cake and ice cream. Now after cake a one year old is usually a mess of cake and frosting mush from head to toe. Not our Eli, just some messy hands (who uses a fork to eat cake) and a little frosting cake mush on his face. Next it was time for presents, "What could be so exciting about presents for a one year old?", you ask. Let me tell you. I have never seen such vibrant colors and so many flashing lights with bells and whistles in my life. Why don't they make flashy things like that for adults? Oh yea, they do. Ours are just a lot more expensive. . . . Cars, boats, motorcycles, computers, Xbox 360s, and Wiis. Ah to be a kid again and to be impressed and excited by just flashing lights.

A "Blue" New Year

I (being the spoiled only child that I am) was treated to an amazing birthday this year. Danny made reservations at Benihana for dinner. The food was amazing, hopefully that will be my birthday dinner for years to come. Next we headed downtown to see Blue Man Group. We had front row seats. It was an unbelievable show that unfortunately really can't be described in words that would do it justice. The main show finished 15 minutes before midnight and the staff passed out champagne and noise-makers to the whole audience. At midnight the performers came back on the stage and played "Auld Lang Syne" on their unique instruments and shot confetti into the audience while streamers fell from the ceiling. We weren't allowed to take pictures during the show, but I did get a cool shirt that I can show you. Wow what a great birthday. I also got a nice dinner at Gram's house that Danny's mom made and the kids were there to help me blow out my candles.

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to

We were all invited over to Jeff and Ginette's house for Emily's second birthday party. Now recently Emily had been showing signs of turning two. Some temper tantrums and just general non-happiness. The night of the party would prove to be no different. Danny and I walked into the house and the first thing we heard was the birthday girl repeatedly crying. "Mom, mom, mom. . . ." and Ginette trying very patiently to figure out what this little darling wanted, all to no avail. There were several bouts of just rolling around on the floor crying. Then the pizza came and this seemed to appease the little princess, or so we thought. Shortly into her second piece of pizza the birthday girl threw her fork and then her plate of pizza onto the floor and then cried to get get out of her chair.

Oh, I forgot to mention that earlier during one of the crying spells the little princess' Uncle Danny made a beautiful sign that read: I'm turning 2. (Can you tell?)" and pretending to console his temperamental niece, placed the sign on her back for all to see.

So after the pizza hit the floor it was now Aunt Cuckoo's turn to step in and entertain our princess. It seems all she needed all along was some good stretching exercises, because once Cuckoo had her stretching to this side and the "uder side" the smiles returned and we made it through the rest of the party.

A few new members to the Family

For a couple of years now we have been going downtown to the American Girl store for my niece Zoe's birthday. This year we also celebrated my niece Emily's birthday as well. This is the year Emily got to get her first American Girl Doll, her very own Bitty Baby. While most of the rest of the group went off to look at their own things, I got to go along with Ginette, Katelyn, and Emily to find Emily's new baby. We made our way to the Bitty Baby section and it was like the dolls were calling Emily's name. She trudged through all the other shoppers and right into one of the sections that had the baby-dolls. These areas are the perfect height for a two year old and she reached right in and pulled out a box that was almost as big as she was.

She tried to carry it, but kept dropping it and saying "too heavy", but she wouldn't let anyone carry it for her.

Finally "Grandma" came to the rescue by saying she would bring the baby to the lady who could take her out of the box. That made our little princess Emily happy and we were able to get the doll paid for. Now the other girls (also my nieces) had their dolls with, and my sister-in-law Colleen decided she wanted one of her own and not to be left out so did I. We both got "Just like you" dolls. You pick the doll with the same color skin, hair, and eyes as you yourself have. Now anyone who knows Colleen knows she is a princess through and through, loving it when she has a good excuse to wear a tiara. So of course her doll had to have a fancy dress and ,you guessed it, a tiara. My doll was having a problem picking a dress mainly because I was letting my nieces Zoe and Shannon pick the outfit. They went from two different ballerina outfits to an Irish Dancer's dress to finally a fancy creamy-gold dress with long gloves (her holiday dress). So now we have three more girls (dolls) in the family.

Girls and their dolls, what a wonderful thing.