Painting Party

Marina’s birthday was over a month ago but it was during Spring Break. Since many of her friends go out of town, we usually wait to have her party. Since our April schedule has been crazy we weren’t able to have the party until today.

We’ve been enjoying painting classes and the instructor we’ve had. So we decided to have a painting party. She chose a painting called “A Girl With Her Dragon.”  We were all excited.

I showed up early and set up some snacks alongside the cake. The cake was actually a group of cupcakes made to look like a blue dragon. Everyone showed up early, so they had time to socialize, have a snack and get their smocks on. Some of the girls wanted to change up the colors of the painting, including Marina. She wanted hers to be an “ice dragon.”

We spent the next two hours working on our paintings. We took a break to let our paintings dry and had cupcakes. Then it was time to paint again. All the pictures looked different but clearly they had a fun time making them. Marina customized hers and it came out looking great.

As soon as everyone else was picked up, we headed out.

Happy Birthday, Molly Brown!

We’ve been to the Molly Brown House Museum for tea in the past. Today we decided to try something else. For Margaret Brown’s 150th birthday, the museum held a block party. True to the name, the entire block the house stands on was closed off of the event. Marina decided to wear an outfit inspired by the era – a lace summer dress and a fancy straw hat with flowers. All day she received many compliments on her outfit.

We had a short wait to check in and then we started to check out the vendor booths. We found many places we go to had booths. Marina learned about military supplies at one booth and painted a firefighter’s badge at another.

We listened to two opera singers perform songs from Carmen and then Marina insisted we check out the animal shelter area where they had dogs and kittens up for adoption. She fell in love with them all – especially a black kitten that she held for a while.

Once she was willing to leave the pets behind, we went through the house and even found a new room that was recently opened to the public. As we left the house, we met the actress who plays Margaret Brown. She remembered us from the tea party in March and talked with us for a little while.

We each had a piece of birthday cake while we watched Mexican Fiesta Dancers. Marina said goodbye to the pets before we left the party. It was a really fun event!

Cousin Shower

Uncle Brian and Aunt Emily are expecting a baby girl in July. Marina is very excited to have a new cousin.

Today was the baby shower. Marina helped me pick out the gifts a few days ago. We rode to the shower with several family members. Marina also brought her American Girl Julie with her.

When we arrived, Marina had big hugs for Aunt Emily and Uncle Brian. One of the activities was drawing a picture based on a letter of the alphabet for an ABC book. Marina had a great time creating pages. She created a collage of drawings for “P” (penguin, Pink Panther, princess and pancakes). She also drew ice cream for “I.”

When it was time for Brian and Emily to open the gifts. Marina was very helpful by bringing each gift to them.

On the way home, we stopped at Krispy Kreme for donuts. We both enjoyed watching the donuts being made almost as much as the donuts! It was a long drive home, but Marina was content playing on her phone the whole time.

French Birthday Party

Since our schedule has been so busy lately, we weren’t able to have our family over to celebrate Marina’s birthday until today. Marina wanted to have a French theme for the party. So I made her an Eiffel Tower cake and served French breads, cheeses and mini quiches.

Marina was excited to see the family today. She particularly liked introducing them to Jasmine. Eventually she settled down and had a ham croissant and a little more food. Then we had her birthday cake. She was pleased with the top of her chocolate Eiffel Tower.

She decided she wanted to open her presents in the living room, so we all moved there. She was very pleased with the gifts she received. While I visited with the family, Marina moved upstairs to play with her new toys.

Monster Birthday Party

Marina and I have been so busy lately we haven’t had time to have her birthday party before today. This year she was very clear how she wanted to celebrate – Monster Mini Golf. She has been excited all week for today.

We arrived at Monster Mini Golf early and they were ready for us. We had a lovely (albeit monstrous) party room. We had a short wait before her friends arrived.

First we sang “Happy Birthday.” Then our hostess led everyone in a game to see who knew Marina best. Every correct answer was awarded with a prize. Next they moved on to presents. Marina read every card before looking at the gift.

By then, the girls were ready for golf. They didn’t keep score, or use any rules, really. But clearly they were having fun. They got through the golf course quickly and headed for the arcade where each got credits to spend. Once they used those up, they shopped for prizes. That might have been the hardest part!

Princess Party

We waited to have all our family in town before celebrating Marina's birthday with them. We decided on a princess theme - her cake had 10 princesses on and around it. Marina decided to dress up in her Anna costume since Anna was not represented on the cake (neither was Elsa or Merida, but that didn't seem to bother her).

Marina had fun with her cousin Cameron and her uncles all evening. We had Italian food since she had requested "pasta." Of course, Marina's favorite part was opening presents. She was thrilled with the gift cards she got because she she gets to go shopping.

I had to remind her to thank everyone and say goodbye, she was too busy playing with her new toys!

Spa Party

Marina had a tough time deciding what kind of birthday party she wanted this year. We discussed options at the Aquarium, swimming pool, the American Girl store and craft store. Finally, she decide on a spa party at her favorite hair salon.

We arrived at the salon for the party a bit early. I didn’t have a whole lot of set up to do, so we were ready with plenty of time. Marina’s friends arrived shortly after that. The girls started by adding jewels to flip flops, then each headed over to the couch where they got a pedicure, two at a time. Marina picked a deep purple nail polish with purple sparkles over it. It looked very pretty!

Next, they each got a manicure. They all got different combinations and enjoyed showing off their nails to each other. While they waited for each other, they watched Aladdin, which was showing on the TV.  After Aladdin ended, they put on Beauty and the Beast.

Once their nails were dry, the girls gave themselves facials. I was impressed at how much brighter their skin was after the facials. The party time was nearly over at that point, so we had to hurry through cupcakes and presents while many of the parents watched. The girls all seemed to have had fun. One of the girls even called it "Awesome!"

Swimming Celebration

Every time we go to the aquarium, Marina points out to me that you an sign up to snorkle or scuba dive in one of the tanks. So she was very excited when she was invited to her friend Brianne's birthday party. The party was at the aquarium and they would be swimming with the fish in the same tank the mermaids use.

The girls spent much of the morning getting dressed and learning how to snorkle. They were told not to touch the fish but that the turtles tend to be friendly. The equipment they had did not allow them to dive into the water, so they had to stay near the top.

After the morning mermaid show, the girls got their chance to swim. Marina waved as soon as she saw me. Some of  the other girls did as well. Marina didn't explore the tank as much as some of the other girls did. She seemed to be doing as much socializing as swimming. After a while, she didn't put her face in the water much at all. She told me later that she swallowed a lot of water and it made her feel sick. After she got out of the water, she took her fins off - then they both fell into the tank! It was  funny to see them slowly sink to the bottom.

After the girls dried off and changed their clothes, they each got a t-shirt that said, "I Swam With the Sharks." (apparently there were a few nurse sharks in the tank with the fish.) Of course, they all put them on. By then they were all hungry, so they quickly settled in the restaurant for lunch.

I think that's one item Marina can check off her bucket list!

Family Birthday Fun

We invited our family over for Marina's birthday dinner. Marina was excited about it all week. Last night I made her a Merida birthday cake. She couldn't wait to have the figurines to play with. She even tried helping with the cake. She piped some of the grass on and helped me with the sprinkles.

Before everyone came over, Marina helped clean up the house. She vacuumed the whole house and picked up her toys. I was so proud of her!

Brian and Emily arrived first and they thrilled Marina by asking her to be the flower girl in their wedding. She's been asking them if they need a flower girl for a long time, so she was happy to accept.

As each member of our family showed up, Marina hugged them and told them how happy she was to see them.While everyone was finishing up dinner, Marina and Cameron went outside to play with bubbles. The came inside when it was time for cake.

After singing "Happy Birthday" and passing out the cake, Marina was anxious to open her presents.She received quite a few nice gifts.

Marina and Cameron went into the basement and played for a while. I was impressed that when they came up the basement wasn’t a mess! Marina hugged everyone as they left and thanked them for coming. She had a fun evening.

Birthday for an American Girl

Marina's birthday is five days away, but we got started celebrating early by having her party today. She is still crazy about her American Girl doll McKenna, who is a gymnast. So, we had a gymnastics party with an American Girl theme.The party was at the recreation center where Marina used to take ballet class. She had seen the gymnastics classes which are held there, so she was very excited to have her birthday party there.

We'd had gymnastics parties before, but none like this! The kids were allowed to play of the bars and beam as well as a long trampoline. There were giant balls to sit on and a large ring that the kids could sit in while their friends rolled it along. As soon as the party started, the kids wasted no time having fun. There were so many different activities it was hard to keep track of where the kids were.


After a very quick 45 minutes, it was time for cupcakes and ice cream. Since it was an American Girl party, several girls brought their dolls. We had a table set up just for them. Their plates and cups were just like the ones the kids were using.

Marina enjoyed opening her presents as well. She read each card out loud and would wait for everyone to settle down so she could be heard. She received some very nice gifts and was gracious in receiving them.


By the end of the party it was clear the kids were getting tired. They'd had fun. We were glad they all came to celebrate with us.

Once Upon A December

Today was Marina's last ballet class of the year. Her teacher decided to make it a party day. The girls were told to dress in their prettiest tutus. Marina chose one that was modeled after a gown from the movie Anastasia and a Santa hat with a tiara attached. Her classmates looked adorable as well, many choosing to dress in a Christmas theme. Their teacher wore a fancy pink tutu that looked straight out of The Nutcracker.

During class time we could hear Christmas music and giggles from the studio. The girls were obviously having a great time! With a few minutes left, they showed us a Rockettes-inspired kick line they had learned.

For the last few minutes of class, they girls had cookies and punch. It was clear they all had a great time today!

Pool Party

Marina was invited to a party of one of the young ladies who attended her party last March. It was at the same pool we celebrated Marina's birthday. She's been very excited to go. She didn't know many of the kids there, so she swam by herself for quite a while, but eventually she became more comfortable and made some new friends.

While watching her swim it was clear to me that her swimming lessons are working. She showed me all sorts of strokes - even putting her face in the water at times! She had so much fun that it took me a while to convince her to go home!

Bouncy Birthday

Marina was invited to our neighbor Madi’s birthday party today. It was at the trampoline park near our house. Marina has been wanting to go back there for some time, so she’s been looking forward to the party. When we arrived, Madi was already on the large trampoline. Marina was happy to show me her cartwheels and somersaults that she has been working on with her friends at school. The only time she stopped playing was when it was time for cake and presents. Then she went right back to the giant trampoline. She didn’t want to leave when the party was over, but I could tell she was pretty worn out by all of it!

Picnic

Today was my company picnic. Marina always looks forward to it - especially the water fountains she can play in at the park. She had a snack of watermelon before going to play in the water. She took a lot of interest in getting her hair wet this year. She came over to me to show me how wet she was. Eventually, she took a break to have lunch.

Throughout the day, Marina met up with many of the kids she has played with in years past. This year she also met up with the granddaughter of one of my coworkers. The two of them hit it off and hung out for most of the afternoon. Marina even took her food to eat in a sunny spot with her new friend. They seemed to be working on their tans. At the end of the picnic, Marina didn't want to go. She was having too much fun!

Fun on the Fourth

This year, I thought we’d try something different for the Fourth of July. We went to a local historic park for their “Old Fashioned July 4 Celebration.” We’d been there earlier this year, but it was nothing like what we experienced today. As we walked in we met Thomas Jefferson and Uncle Sam. Marina had her picture with each of them. Then we headed into the Civil War camp. It had tents set up just as Civil War soldiers would have had them. There were many men in blue Union uniforms demonstrating bayonet training and explaining how the soldiers lived. There was a flute player in uniform who let the kids beat the drum as she played. Marina loved that. She also got to meet Abraham Lincoln.

We had a chance to ride a stagecoach. Marina couldn’t wait to try that. It was a bit of a wait, but Marina was so excited during the ride. We stopped for lunch, hamburgers and hot dogs. After we ate, we attended an Abolitionist Rally. Marina was a bit bored through it, but she was patient. After the rally, we checked out the kids games area. There Marina panned for gold. Once she found some she got pretty excited about looking for more. We also saw a weaving presentation. Marina carded wool, spun it into thread and then used a machine to weave it. She really loved the weaving part. They had several craft stations where Marina made sand art and a pinwheel. 
 
At intermission of the orchestra music, there was a reading of the Declaration of Independence. People in the crowd were invited to read the articles. Marina wanted to participate, so she went and read a short paragraph. She wasn’t at all nervous and read very well considering the difficult words.
 
We went on another wagon ride and Marina panned for gold again before we headed out. She chatted with Abraham Lincoln for a while, showing him some of the crafts she made.  She hugged Uncle Sam just before we left.
 
We spent a little time at home before heading over to Aunt Ann’s for a barbecue. They had rented a bounce house, so Marina spent most of the time in there. It had a huge slide which she liked to bounce down. She came inside to eat a hamburger and some vegetables before heading out again. Near dusk Cameron brought out some ”poppers.” Due to the high fire danger, no fireworks were allowed. So the kids made a mess with the noisemakers and streamers. Then they all helped clean it up.

When we left, both Marina and I were tired. We’d done a lot to celebrate America’s birthday.

Sock Hop Sweetheart

Marina has been learning a number of dances in her gym class at school lately. They've been learning them for the sock hop tonight. Marina came home telling me about learning the Macarena and wanting to wear a poodle skirt. The outfit I ordered for her arrived earlier this week and she's been very excited to dance in it.
 
We arrived at the school early and she and some of her friends danced together. I was impressed at the steps they were doing to the 50's songs. And they were having so much fun in their poodle skirts! We had dinner in the cafeteria - hot dogs, popcorn and root beer floats. On our way back to the dance, she stopped to have her nails painted and got a couple of temporary tattoos.

Once we got back to the gym, the kids were doing the Limbo. After doing that for a while, they started some of the other dances, the Macarena and other line dances - all led by the gym teacher Mr. Norris. The fifth graders did their version of Thriller, which Marina loved.

After two hours, everyone was wiped out. Our first sock hop was a lot of fun!

Birthday Dinner

Marina’s birthday fell right before spring break and Easter, so I thought we’d wait a little before having her birthday dinner. A few days ago she reminded me we hadn’t had her birthday dinner yet, so I was aware she hadn’t forgotten.

We invited the whole family over this evening for dinner. Marina wanted spaghetti, so I made an Italian dinner. She was especially excited to see Cameron and her uncles. We ate dinner fairly early. Once she and Cameron were done, they went into the basement to play.

When everyone was ready for cake, I had to convince her to come out of the basement for it. I’d made her another Disney Fairies cake. We made sure everyone understood Marina was to take the first bite of cake. (She had not been so insistent about dinner.) As soon as she was finished eating, she dove into her presents. She received many nice gifts and wanted them deboxed right away.

She’d had a fun evening.

Birthday Girl

Marina has been counting down the days to her birthday. Last night, she wanted to wear curlers to bed so she'd have pretty hair today. When I dropped her off at school this morning, she announced excitedly, "I get to be on the announcements!" Apparently students get to lead the Pledge of Allegiance on their birthday.

Near the end of the school day, I came to her classroom with cupcakes. Naturally, her classmates were excited to get them. Marina got the take the ceremonial first bite. She waited until everyone in the class was quiet before she did.

After school, we went out for dinner. When we came home, Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy came over for cake and presents. I made her another Tinkerbell and friends cake. I think by this time, Marina was a bit tired of cake, she didn't eat much. She was much more interested in her presents.

Marina was so funny as she opened her presents. She carefully looked at each package and tried to figure out what it was before opening it. But she was pretty happy with what was in the packages.

After our celebration, we settled down and watched The Muppets on DVD, one of her presents. It had been a fun day.