Eight is Great!

***This post was written immediately following Clara's birthday - on June 25th - but I haven't had time to simply upload pictures so I am waaay behind.  I will go ahead and post my old posts and try to catch up to present day, so much has happened since June!**

I've recently learned that when a birthday is on a Monday, the celebrations are more of a weekend affair rather than a singular day.  Clara pointed this out to me over the weekend with a huge smile on her face.  I think we can count birthday #8 as a success.  In fact she even told me as I was tucking her into bed the night of her actual birthday "my birthday was more than amazing".  I was so pleased she thought so.

Saturday started out the celebrating with her birthday party.  She chose to go bowling at base and since it is a bit of a distance from town and we didn't want to make it hard on other parents, we decided to have her school friends meet at our house and so we could all ride the bus to base.  The short walk from our house to the bus stop was even exciting and seemed to provide entertainment for passersby!

I am still not sure what the girls enjoyed more, the bowling or the bus ride.  (Note to self:  Birthday #9, buy an all day bus pass for Clara and a few friends.  Done.)

Jonas was equally excited and sat happily holding Poppy's hand all the way.

Nell shared her snack with Poppy and Eleanor,  introducing the American cereal Kix to them, which was a big hit.

The girls enjoyed bowling and Jonas enjoyed watching.  He managed to not cry much which was a huge improvement over the last time he was in a bowling alley.  He really doesn't like to see the pins get knocked down.  Thanks to the bumpers, pins were getting knocked down quite often.

Once bowling was over we had some food.  There was a selection of drinks from the fountain…Sprite, Fanta, Coke, Diet Coke, etc.  Eleanor was not happy with any of these and asked for something different.  Devin bought a gatorade.  She took one sip and declared it too sweet.  As we were eating she made me laugh so hard when she asked me for a "proper drink".  I managed to get her some water and that seemed to meet her needs.  Clara on the other hand was over the moon to be able to fill her cup full of soda and ice!

We then had cake and ice cream.  Clara requested a pink bowling ball cake.  She told me it did not need to be a sphere, just a bowling ball drawn on to a cake.

Maybe not my favorite aesthetic, but definitely easy.  I made a round strawberry cake with fresh strawberries.  It tasted better than it looked in my opinion.  Not sure Nell agreed though.

After cake and ice cream we boarded the bus with 4 very hyper girls.  Devin and I stayed in the front to sit with Jonas and Nell where the wheelchair and stroller went and the girls piled in the very back of the bus. The other passengers may, or may not, have appreciated our "hands off" approach to parenting for the 20 minute ride.  I keep turning around and shushing them but to no avail.  At one point, one of the girls even told me that she just could not possibly be any quieter.  She was trying she said, it was just not working.

Once home, the girls talked the parents into letting them stay and so the girls all played together for the remainder of the afternoon.  

After the school friends went home, Clara, Emeline and I went to Pizza Hut for dinner.  Clara has always wanted to go and since they honestly serve NOTHING Jonas can even look at let alone eat, we've never gone.  She and Emeline had a great time together and I had fun watching them  They are such good friends.  During dinner we talked about how they had been friends their entire lives and how special that was.  

Monday, the 25th was the real deal.  Clara awoke to her traditional string throughout the house with little presents and 8 dollar bills along the way.  Thoughtfully, she asked that we not do the string until Jonas was awake, so she waited patiently about an hour for him to wake up.

The wait paid off and she was thrilled to see Lucky Charms and Honeycomb at the end of the string. 

After opening a few presents and having a very nutritious breakfast she was off to school.

When Nell napped, I worked like a mad woman sewing.  I have been working on a colonial dress for her doll that would match one of her dress-up dresses.  I finished the dress 3 minutes before I left to pick her up from school and then when Devin got home I managed to quickly sew the hat.  It was the first "clothing" item I've sewn and it was really fun to do, especially since I knew it didn't need to look good on a person…only an 18" doll.

After school we had a BBQ and invited a new family in the area over last minute.  Clara was happy to have some children over to play with, even if they were new friends.  Since we already had a cake, Clara opted for chocolate chip cookies and ice cream.  It was a yummy dinner and Clara was so happy!

Last but surely not least, was present opening.  Clara skyped with her Grandma and Grandpa Morris while opening her presents which were full of American Girl doll goodies.

Clara is such a happy daughter and doing things for her is a joy since she is so grateful and generous.  I always look forward to her birthday because I enjoy celebrating Clara so much.  

What is your favorite food? Star Soup
What is your favorite toy? Ella, my American Girl Doll
What is your favorite game? Pictionary Junior
What is your favorite book? American Girl & Rainbow Magic Books
What is your favorite animal? Hamster
What do you want to be when you grow up? A good mother
Who are your friends? Emeline, Eleanor, Poppy, Abi, Eliza and Leah
What would you like to do this year? I want to do my flute concert
What are some things you like to do? Go to school, go to church and have Family Home Evening
What sports do you like? Running, Swimming and Gymnastics
What is your favorite thing to wear? Black and white striped dress
What is your favorite color? Orange
What makes you happy? Having friends
What makes you sad? Being hurt