May 25th--Emmalee's 6th Birthday

WARNING:  VERY LONG POST WITH LOTS OF PICTURES!

(I was hoping that I could finish posting this before midnight so it would actually have the date of her birthday at the top, but I was about 10 minutes too late.)  

Zane needed to bring brownies to school for their end-of-the-year barbecue.  He was going to make the brownies last night after Young Mens, but I know how long it takes him to make things--and then clean it all up.  And I didn't want him up for another hour and a half last night, so I told him I'd just make them this morning.

 So after I got them out to cool, I decided I'd better go take a quick shower.  I don't know what I was thinking (I guess I wasn't thinking), but I left the brownies within Benjamin's reach (which is almost everywhere he can climb or push a chair over to & climb).  And 6 minutes later (yes, I shower really quickly when Benjamin is roaming free), this is what I found.  Thankfully he was kind enough to just poke the one corner.  I was able to salvage most of it and cut 20 pieces for the bbq.  

After lunch I baked Emmalee's cake, but thankfully there were plenty of "big" people around to supervise the cooling time for that cake.  

I had the kids cleaning the house and getting the bedroom ready for Grandma & Grandpa.  Plus, they had to really clean their bathroom, since it is the one that Grandma & Grandpa would have to use.  We were almost done with the bathroom and I just needed to vacuum when my parents drove up.  So we all went out to give them hugs.  And then I ducked back inside and did a quick vacuum of the living room floor.  

 Benjamin had to show Grandpa all of his Toy Story toys.

 Brienna decorated the cake for Emmalee.  Without any decorating tips. (I have some but couldn't find them anywhere!)

 Emmalee is so happy with her cake!!! (She wanted a "doll" cake at first--where the cake is the skirt for the doll, but Aunt Pamela has that cake pan at her house.  So she said it would be okay to have that kind of cake some other time).

 For dinner she chose chili dogs.  And she got to sit at the "special" table with Grandma & Grandpa.

 After Rusty, Callum & I got back from pack meeting, Emmalee opened her presents & we ate cake & ice cream.

 She is wearing her tie-dyed shirt that she helped make in kindergarten.

 Benjamin was the helper--handing her the present.  And then carefully looking on.

 He was really good--he only tried to open one present!   This morning when I asked Emmalee if she felt any different since it was her birthday, she said, "I feel a lot older--like a 6 year old!"

 Grandpa and Grandma Stewart

 Grandpa and  Grandma Carter--and Zane

 Emmalee said she had a great birthday (and there's Ben carefully watching her open those presents).

 She loved the dress that Aunt Pamela got her.

 Emmalee thought it was funny that Grandpa Carter wanted to hold her birthday money--in his pocket!

 Shortly after that comment, she opened another card and as she passed the card to Grandpa Stewart (so he could read it), he snatched some of her money away.  She looked down at the money and realized that is was gone.

 And so she tried to get it from him.  You gotta be careful of those grandpas! He gave it back to her and also gave her some $ from them.  She was quite happy.

 I wonder what she wished for?

And this is how she decided to eat the cake--lovely!  Silly girl!

She was actually a little hard to buy presents for this year because whenever we asked her what she wanted, she said she didn't know.  Even when we were at the stores--she isn't a "gimme & greedy" girl.  So she ended up getting clothes (pants, shirts & a dress), Barbie movies, candy, and books--ones that she can read on her own.