Birthday Recap

File this under: the things we do for our children. We started off the birthday-related festivities with a family party on Tuesday night. For A's big day on Thursday, I left work mid-morning and drove cupcakes to her school (and then drove back to work again, sans cupcakes). A surprising amount of preparations were required - from buying the cupcakes (no time for baking) to coordinating a time with her teacher to hauling them all the way across town in a Biblical rain storm. It all seemed worth it when I saw how excited the kid was to serve cupcakes to her classmates.  They sang a cute version of Happy Birthday to her, complete with "cha cha cha" after every line.

That morning, we had presented her with a couple of birthday gifts. We didn't go all-out because we're going to a little place called Disney World shortly. She really wanted a Fijit Friend toy (to the tune of $50). However, I asked about it on Facebook and one of my friends helpfully pointed out that the rubbery body on the toy is just sticky enough that cat/dog hair sticks to it.  That was all I had to hear. I wasn't too keen on parting with fifty bones for a toy as it was. What I ended up buying her was probably just as irritating as the Fijit would have been - I got her one of those giant Barbie heads (you can style her hair) and a Victorious microphone (and I say "I" because P had no idea what we'd purchased until the kid opened it). The microphone plays the Victorious theme song. And nothing else. If you're not familiar with this show, I envy you.

After work, I picked up two of A's friends and took the three girls to Red Robin. Honestly, I would have invited more of her friends except that I only felt qualified to wrangle three first graders (P had to work that night). The girls were actually pretty well behaved, considering the sheer excitement of being out in public together and eating ice cream sundaes (on top of the cupcakes they'd consumed earlier in the day). And just generally being . . . first grade girls. The server handed them balloons, which was fine until one amigo let hers go and it bounced up to the ceiling. Much drama ensued until a replacement arrived.

I must share with you what one of my daughter's friends said during the meal. I know the child's mother is proud, so it's only right that I should share it with a larger audience. The friend in question made this announcement at dinner: "I know another word for poop!"

I, thinking surely I have misheard the child, stupidly said this: "What did you say, sweetie?"  I leaned across the table to make sure I got it the second time.

"I know another word for poop!" she said again, a little louder this time. And then the punchline: "TURD!"

Every time I tell this story to someone, I get the same reply: "Well, at least she didn't use the OTHER other word for poop."  True dat.

My daughter finished her big day by doing her math homework. (Did you know that kids don't "carry the 1" anymore? Crazy newfangled math.) Then she Skyped with her cousins in Virginia, and then her Meemaw in Oklahoma. Between the new math and the video conferencing, it occurred to me that my kid is growing up in a different world. I still remember playing Pong, dammit.

Oh, and she's already started talking about her 8th birthday. No lie.

Cousins

Goofy girls at Red Robin



Yes, she wore the tiara with her pajamas