December 21, 2013-Happy 4th Birthday Campbell!

(click here for today's pictures)

Happy Birthday Campbell!

• The first thing we did this morning was to wish Campbell a Happy Birthday and she asked "when are my friends coming over?" and "What does my pinata look like?"  I gently tried to explain that she had already had her birthday party on Tuesday but she continued asking about her friends.  Finally, I distracted her with enough talk about her party and presents that she might possibly have understood that today we were only celebrating at home.  
• Soon though are "celebrating at home" got moved to McDonalds.  Campbell was given the choice of where she wanted to eat breakfast-McDonalds or Krispy Kreme.  She said that she didn't "want to go to Rice Krispies" so to McDonalds we headed.  
• We all sang Happy Birthday to Campbell and she was pleased as she could be seeing candles in a stack of pancakes.  The kids all played for a few minutes-including Whitman who enjoyed the little music maker.  I did overheard Anderson and the others playing Hide and Seek.  Anderson was the counter and started off "1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi" then he paused and began again with "3 Arkansas, 4 Arkansas..."  Really, why should Mississippi get all of the credit?
• After eating, Robby dropped me and the birthday girl out at Kroger to do some speed shopping.  The original plan was for everyone to get out and shop but we opted for only 2 of us to get soaked instead of all 8.  Campbell was my list holder and even got to mark the items off of my list-what a big birthday!  And I bought her some pretzels and yogurt-a birthday she will always remember.  Check out lines were long but when my sweet girl asked if we could go to lane 4 because she is 4, of course we had to (even though that was one of the longer lines!)
• Next stop was Sams and Robby ran in there.  He left his phone in the car so I had to circle closely in the pouring rain so I could see him quickly.  Thankfully, he found us and we loaded up his stuff right in the middle of the monsoon.  Going back home, we all marveled at how high the little stream on Lawson was and were going to drive past our street to see the high water.  But as soon as we got to the top of the hill and could see the water pouring over the street, we backed our big self up and headed to the house.
• The first item of business when we made it home was unloading the car-Robby and I took care of it this time so the crew didn't get wet.  We seriously debated about letting the kids play outside in the rain but decided it might just be too chilly for that-and we sure don't want our kids getting sick like every single other person that we seem to know.  
• Gingerbread houses were quickly started on (so Robby couldn't back out)  None of them fell over night and the kids were excited about getting started.  We had to do most of the squeezing out the icing for them but the Reagan and the boys were able to do some.  Keaton mostly ate the pieces of year old candy instead of putting them on her house.  It is so interesting to me that their ability and interest to decorate the house can be so clearly seen in their age.  Campbell and Keaton's houses are the least thought out and planned and then on the other end of the spectrum is Reagan's house.  She worked for nearly an hour after everyone else had finished.  She even has her initials on the roof of her house.  We were pretty impressed with their houses-might just do it next year (If I remember to pick some up after Christmas!)
• It was nearly 2 when we finally had our hot dogs for lunch.  Then nap time for Keaton and fuss time for Whitman.  He didn't want to take a nap so I got him up and he did set in my lap.  I was holding pretty tight for him and one of us had a bit of a nap-the other didn't.  I was the lucky one!  Soon everyone was awake and we moved everyone up to the bonus room to watch Home Alone 2.
• The tv wasn't working too well so we then moved the party downstairs to finish on that tv.  We watched most of the movie and then the kids ate in the floor while the movie finished.  Of course at the end of the movie, there is lots of banging and slapping around of the bad guys.  My big 3 would ooh, aah and moan and Keaton and Campbell insisted that they set in my lap with their heads turned away from the tv-except they were doing their best to watch every bit of what was happening on the tv.  
• We let the kids watch one of their game shows before bed-after all it was a birthday today!  Then everyone went to bed-and bedtime was a success today!  Soon Robby and I started to work on our crock pot Christmas candy that has been all over pinterest the last few days.  It was a success and we made over 100 pieces of chocolate.  Yummy-that might just take the place of my ice cream tonight.