Happy Birthday Lyndsi!

My baby turned NINE!  She wanted a birthday party this year and planned the whole thing herself.  Mom got to play assistant and that was fun. She and I spent a lovely Saturday afternoon pouring through Family Fun magazines for games, cutting out felt and paper, and designing the perfect party invitations. 

The actual birthday morning-dad made pancakes!

On the big day we made cupcake necklace charms with permanent markers and shrinky dink paper.  The girls loved watching the magic that is shrinky dinks.  (So fun to introduce a favorite childhood craft to a new generation.)  We played "oink, piggy, oink" and musical dress-ups. That was a hoot.  My friend gave us the idea. We filled a black garbage bag with all sorts of dress-up items.  When the music stopped, the person holding the bag had to put on the first thing they pulled out.  Hilarious.  The girls loved it.  (I can see lots of potential for teenage and even adult fun with this one.)  Afterwards we did a photoshoot of each girl.  Next were presents.  Nine year old girls are fun.  Every single one of the ten gifts piled in the living room and a handwritten (and nearly all homemade) card.  How cute!  Instead of the traditional cake and ice cream, Lyndsi requested an ice cream bar.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Nine-year-olds can pack away the sugar.  Let me tell you...I'm glad I didn't put out all the treats!  It was an awesome party for an incredibly wonderful girl who constantly amazes me with her intelligence and insights, delights me with her giggles and is a complete joy to have in my little family.  Happy birthday Lou!!