July 27, 2012-Happy 4th Birthday Graham

(click here for today's pictures)

• Graham was the first up and I asked him what we were going to do today and he said "I don't know" but then I reminded him that today was birthday party day.  His smile was from ear to ear.  He was so excited about his party but I overheard him telling Campbell "I love you Campbell" and she shot back "No Graham, I love my mommy."  Soon everyone was waking up and Robby was heading out the door for work.
• We had our breakfast and then started school.  It was a bit crazy this morning because Keaton was eating everything that she could get her hands on and even knocked down Anderson's drawers full of work.  Today the highlight was getting to play on the ipad (educational games of course!) for 10 minutes when they finished their work.  One of Reagan's assignments today was to write a note to someone and she wrote me a note "Thank you for being my mommy."  Just made my day.
• After school, the Dennie kid cleaning crew went to work.  We had this house in pretty good shape by lunch, had our lunch and then went outside to start to work.  I sat the tables up and the kids carried all of the chairs.  They helped me hammer the game directions on the tree, fill the pool full of dirt and a number of other things.  We were hot and tired when we finished.  Actually, I did sit down for a few minutes while we were working just looking up at the dark clouds that were nearby.  I was wondering if I should stop setting stuff out and start putting stuff back in the house.  But after doing what all I had done I was committed and kept dragging stuff out for Graham's party.
• While we were out, I heard Campbell saying something to Keaton.  She said it a few times and I couldn't understand her.  But Reagan understood and said "she has ants on her?"  I raced over to Keaton and ants had crawled up her stroller and were all over that child.  Thankfully they were tiny ants (seem less harmless to me).  I jerked Keaton up and started stripping off her clothes and brushing ants off of her.  She was as happy as she could be the whole time and it looked like she only was bitten twice on her back.
• I brought everyone in and fed them popsicles until Nonna arrived.  She washed everyone and I put the little girls to bed.  Then I put Nonna to work chopping tomatoes, chicken and oranges.  Before too long, Robby was home and it was nearing Graham's party.  We managed to get everything done but the few minutes before were a bit crazy-there is always so many last minute things to do.
• I think Graham truly enjoyed his party.  His guests included Kennedy, Kennedy, Camryn, Laynie, Phoebe, Josh, Zach, Grant, Whit, Chase, Alyssa Kate, Will, Caleb, Caroline and Reagan, Anderson, Campbell and Keaton.  We had pirate gold (cheese balls), pirate teeth (popcorn), sea water (drinks), today's catch (goldfish), cannon balls (grapes) and a huge smorgasbord of a tortilla bar.  
• After everyone ate, we started the games.  First we did Captain Hook's pretzels were the kids took turns scooping up 4 pretzels with a hook to earn a pirate hat.  Then the kids all walked across a plank to a find some treasure in a kiddie pool.   Next was swabbing the deck with brooms and a soccer ball to earn an eye glass followed by a peg leg race to earn a final eye patch.
• Next up was a customary group picture followed by cake.  Graham was so excited to blow out his candle atop his pirate birthday cake.  After those cake, cupcakes and ice cream, we opened presents.  Graham racked up-shoes, underwear, pajamas, a train and track, a car track, buzz, little pirate toys, a pirate ship, remote control car, matchbox truck, matchbox wall thing, buzz fishing game, a pirate backpack, dump truck, box full of spiderman stuff and lots of other stuff (I'm too tired to get up and go look! But trust me it is alot of stuff).  
• Next up was ignoring the burn ban and did a few sparklers-well at least 20 one for each of the kids and it was quite smokey.  They all did good and thankfully no one was burned!  We had run out of time to make treasure maps with my pirate stickers so some people took their stickers home.  So I still have a zillion pirate stickers but I am sue that they will be used!  
• After the party, everyone pitched in a cleaned up.  The kids enjoyed playing with Graham's new toys-Josh helped put quite a few toys together for me.  Then my crew all had showers and finally went to bed after 10.  They had had a wonderful day-Reagan said "this felt like my birthday" and Anderson now realized that a birthday for Graham is really for him too since he gets to play with all of Graham's new toys.  And Graham's day probably couldn't have been more perfect!