Happy 6th birthday Karalee!

Karalee is 6 years old today! She has been so excited about her birthday. Her party was on saturday at a bouncy place in the supermall. Here are a few pictures from her party.That's Evie sliding down on her belly.I planned to make her cake wednesday night, but the power had gone out, and by friday it was still out, so Ben ordered her a cake from safeway. I was happily surprised that they were able to make it by 10 the next morning. I had a really fun idea for her cake, but this one was really cute.All the kids liked sitting up in the birthday chair.Last night Kara stayed up a little past bedtime to decorate cookies to take to school today. Her teacher always makes sure they are class helper on their birthday. She had a hard time deciding what to take for show and tell because she got so many fun gifts at her party, and also has her christmas gifts to choose from.She chose to open her gifts from us and family this morning before school. She decided last night right before going to bed, so I didn't have too much time to get everything wrapped, and the table decorated. but if it looked lame, she didn't seem to notice. I thought she should open in her jammies, so she could pick out new clothes to wear to school (as that's all she got from us, after so many toys at Christmas). But she just wanted to wear the t-shirt Ben brought back from St. Louis so she could match with Kiersten.I stuck a candle in her muffin for her to blow out after we sang happy birthday to her.All she wants for dinner is mac and cheese. She even specified, "the kind in the box. NOT the kind mommy makes in the oven!"

The birthday party

Kara's birthday party was at the children's museum in Tacoma. This was the first year she got to invite her own friends. I think we ended up with 10 children there, including Kara and Kiersten. And of course, the parents too. We really tried to let her pick out as many things as she could about her party.I even let her wear a necklace that didn't really go with her outfit. Kiersten getting her party hat on.

Here she is holding up 4 fingers. She is so excited to be growing up.

posing in the birthday chair. The museum had a girl there to help with the party. It was so nice to have her cleaning up after everyone, and making sure things were running smoothly and on schedule, so we could just enjoy the party. We ordered pizza, and Ben met the guy outside, and brought the pizzas down. The mom from another party saw him and thought he was her pizza guy. He told her that it wasn't her pizza, but she wouldn't believe him. Even though she ordered 6 pizzas from round table, and we ordered 4 pizzas from pizza hut. She got mad and went up to tattle to the girls at the front desk that we stole her pizza! I thought it was pretty funny when one of them actually came down to check that we had the right pizzas. Hers showed up a few minutes after that.

Kara opening her presents from her friends. She got some really nice gifts.

opening her gift from Kiersten. She gave her some play-doh and bendaroos. I was pretty surprised at her reaction to opening them. She has seen them on tv and always says she wants them, but I didn't realize how much. She didn't even have the package half open when she started saying, "bendaroos! I wanted these so much!" It was the most excited she got over any gift, to my surprise.

I wanted to take her picture in her party hat before the cake, and she kept making this face. I was confused, because it is not one of her normal "picture faces". It turns out she was practicing blowing out the candles. Ben had given her some tips on how to blow without spitting.

This is the clsoest picture I got of the cake. It's not my favorite cake I've ever made, but I wanted to let Kara help. She picked the shape, the flavor, the colors, the decorations, and I even let her help frost it and she put sprinkles on too. So I guess I should be proud of it, since she helped so much.

some of her party guests.

For the second half of the party, they got to play in the children's museum. All of the kids loved pretending to fish out of this little boat.

Kiersten crawling through a little door.

Kara selling food to the dad of one of her friends.

my girls learning to farm.

Kara is the best toy sharer. She got this new barbie, and brought out all of the others so Kiersten could play too. She did get upset when Kiersten made 2 of the princesses dance together. She said, "girls don't dance together!" After that she decided she wants to use her birthday money from Great Grandma Howard to get some boy barbies.

She made this cute mouse with her bendaroos. She played with them most of last night and a lot today too. I just can't get over how much she loves those things. It's such a simple thing, just wire covered in wax. But I guess sometimes those types of things are the most fun.

Happy Birthday Little Bear!

Karalee is 4 years old today! I woke up a few hours before everyone else this morning, so I decided to blow up some balloons and decorate the front room a bit. Her birthday party was yesterday, but I wanted today to be fun and special too, since it is her actual birthday. I always like setting up all of their gifts on the table so they can see them all. Kiersten unwrapped her gift from Grandma and Grandpa Boot, and from Auntie Chris last night after the party, so she just ended up getting those two a little early. Here is the birthday girl coming downstairs. I had made a big breakfast, and was trying to ask her what she wanted to eat, but she ignored me and followed the decorations straight to the gift table. I went around the corner to see where she went, and she was just staring in awe at all of the presents.

opening the first gift!

She was so sweet to let Kiersten help her unwrap the presents. Poor Kiersten had a hard time yesterday and today. She really wanted some of the presents to be for her.

a new book from Papa and Grams!

Here she is posing with all of her super cool birthday gifts. she is a spoiled girl! we still haven't even opened up some of them yet.

She got a trunk of dress up clothes. Here she is dressed up as Cinderella.

And Kiersten as Snow White.

She was so happy to get dressed in her new threads and play with this cool My Little Pony remote control car. She seems so grown up lately.