HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

Today is Daddy’s birthday. We celebrated in Chelan last Thursday with everyone there, but we also celebrated tonight with a chocolate cake with green icing and sprinkles. Otherwise, it was a typical Sunday – dance class this morning, birthday party for Evelyn and Lewis this afternoon, and then a barbecue at some of Mommy and Daddy’s friends’ house. We had cake for Daddy tonight and he is now reading books to the girls.

This was the first "drop-off" birthday party the girls have been invited to. A was particularly apprehensive about it, so I stayed at the party and mostly read the newspaper in the car. The kids all went off on a nature hike at one point, and she left without looking back once! When she returned, she was holding the hand of one of the mommies who went on the walk (a few stayed with the group). The mommy reported to me that A told her all about the Nutcracker, her toenail polish, and Seattle.

The last few days of our trip went well. On Thursday we went back to the water park and M went on the long slide about 20 times. A couldn’t be coaxed to try it but she had fun in the kiddie pool. Then we made dinner for everyone for Daddy’s birthday – gazpacho, zucchini pie (approximated because I didn’t have the recipe), polenta and steak grilled by Uncle Jonathan. We also made a yummy vanilla birthday cake with help from Olivia.

On Friday we headed back to Seattle and walked a bit through town and the closing Pike Street Market. We had dinner with everyone on the waterfront and made a pitstop at one of Mommy’s favorite bookstores – The Elliott Bay Bookstore – before heading back to the hotel.

Saturday we went to the top of the Space Needle and enjoyed beautiful views of the city. Then it was off to the airport, the long flight home, and then back in our own beds. The girls did great on the plane.

All in all, it was a great vacation. Tomorrow starts the last session of camp. We’re happy to be home.

And here are some photos of our celebration for Daddy’s birthday tonight: