This week, we celebrated Mary's Birthday. We were so excited that grandma was there to enjoy the festivities with us! In the morning we went to the zoo.
Mary thought this looked like a fairy princess throne so we had to get a birthday picture on it.
The kids were sweaty and cranky and fairly miserable
until they saw the Swamp Ghosts exhibit. They have been wanting to see it since May. Here's Joe with one of the white gators in the background.
Here is Joe with his picture taking face.
The girls smiling through the wicked humidity.
I wish this was a movie so you could see Emily's cute dance moves.
This is how Ben spent a good share of the trip. His Mei Tai was WAY too thick for me carry him around in it all day, so he was relegated to the stroller. He was not happy with the heat (the first time in his life when he wasn't cold, I think).
I'm not sure if it's just that Will always has something in his mouth or that having something in his mouth puts him to sleep, but these moments are becoming more and more common.
Birthday dinner with grandma.
Mary has been asking for a Dora the Explorer cake for months. I made the shapes out of fondant, but was really tired and clearly didn't have the scale down, so everything's huge. I also forgot to put Dora on. Baby brain. What can I say! But this is "the map" with "bridge" "chocolate tree" "Mary's house". For anyone who has seen the show, that makes sense. For the rest of you - count yourselves lucky! Mary loved it. Totally worth it.
While she was opening her presents, she wouldn't stay still long enough for me to get a good focused picture. She was so excited. This is her jumping up and down over some Dora and My Little Pony stickers. The movie Tangled didn't get any reaction at all (go figure).
The next morning, Matt asked her how his favorite four year old was, and she asked him surprised, "Am I still four?" He said that she would be four for a whole year. She was stunned and thrilled. This is Mary and Emily playing with Mary's presents. They built her pony's a nice corral.
I'm so grateful to have Mary. She has a laugh that is contagious and a hug that melts your heart. I can't believe she's four but I am so excited about this year and all the amazing things I will get to watch her do and learn. I love you, Mary!
