Six!

Laine is six! We celebrated her birthday with our standard morning decorations. We arrived home from Yellowstone the night before, just after midnight. We decided to go to bed and get up early to decorate. And by we, I mean Brian. He’s the birthday decorator. I sit there and say yes or no to him asking if he’s hanging the crepe paper evenly. It wasn’t the best decorating… we had planned on still being gone on her birthday morning so I only had leftover crepe paper in light pink, not dark pink like I planned. Didn’t matter. Laine was happy.

We spent her birthday as a family. She picked Carnation Cafe for lunch and then we stopped by the store and picked out a birthday cake for that night. Brian and I had to be sly getting her gift, which I totally spaced on during all the Yellowstone preparing. Brian suggested an electric scooter. So an electric scooter it was. Walmart, my least favorite place, had one available to buy online and pickup in store a few hours later. We told Laine we had to get lawn fertilizer… I ran in and grabbed the scooter—and lawn fertilizer—and we were able to pull it off.

Next, we stopped by another store to order her birthday cake for her party Saturday. She had selected a panda theme for all the decorations, and a Wonder Woman cake. I’m not a Pinterest person by any means but I like consistency… but it wasn’t my birthday so whatever she wanted, she got.

July 19, her actual birthday. Celebrated at home.

July 22, Saturday. Her party.

We had a home party Saturday. As the kiddos get older, the less I want to have parties somewhere else. It’s easy at home, and reminiscent of my childhood. They play, eat cake, open gifts. I’ve noticed kids don’t open gifts at parties much these days. Heck, we didn’t when we had their parties at Remlinger. So home parties it is for now. And there’s no packing the kiddos up and having to be somewhere at a set time… I like simple.

Much like Blaise, she wanted to invite anyone and everyone under the sun. We can meet a kid at the store and they’d want to invite them. Which is great but I asked she limit her guest list to those she actively hangs out with and we see regularly. Guest list, check. Decorations, check. Cake, check. We were ready for Saturday.

And with that, we kicked off birthday season. Next up Blaise, then Saige, and then Vaile. Before Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then half-birthdays. It never ends.