Last Week

We finally got around to having Allie's birthday party on Saturday. She invited all the kids in the neighborhood and a couple from her primary class. She determined the schedule of events. We started by having all the kids make necklaces and bracelets. This was a much better plan than the other crafts we considered, because even the almost-3-year-olds could string beads by themselves.

Unfortunately for Damon (probably fortunately if you ask him, though), none of the boys we invited were able to make it, so he became the lone male presence. And one thing we have established is that 3-6 year old girls think he is HILARIOUS.

Allie really wanted to play Duck, Duck, Goose; Twister; and Musical Chairs, but only AFTER she got to open presents. Really, she wanted to open presents the moment everyone arrived, and only compromised by waiting until after the jewelry was made. So, after games and presents we had cake and ice cream. We tried to go for the double decker rainbow cake, but at the last minute, I added a little more milk to the frosting and it got runny. Hence the reason the cake looks like it's melting.

The inside was pretty, though.

At the end of the party (a very easy party, with everyone extremely well-behaved, I must add), Kyla was seeing everyone off and made the mistake of closing the front door on her thumb. It swelled up like a tiny sausage and I was afraid it may be broken for a few hours when she refused to wiggle it, but she is a tough girl (sturdy, some would say), and after a nap on the couch, she was fine.

Last week, we also lost our garage door opener (GDO, from here on out). At the Dollar Tree. Here's how it happened. Allie has been known to play with things that are not toys. Most often, I find things from the kitchen in places that they shouldn't be. Some of her favorites are the cheese grater, spatulas, a rolling pin, and various whisks. But she also sometimes likes to play with other things that she should leave alone. Like the garage door opener.

After visiting the Dollar Tree last week, I pulled into the driveway and found that the GDO was missing. I asked Allie where it was, and after she searched her belongings, including the lip gloss she had just bought, she announced that it was missing. And that she thought she left it in the store. WHAT?! I racked my brain, trying to remember if I had actually seen her with the GDO in the store. I couldn't. And since we had browsed most of the store, I couldn't begin to imagine where she might have put it down. So, I called the store and asked if they would look for it and call me if it turned up. When the day passed without a call, I began to think it was gone forever. I informed Allie that she would have to give me the $10 she had received for her birthday in order to help pay for another one, and she tearfully agreed. Multiple rounds of questioning failed to uncover just what exactly she was thinking when she took the GDO into the store. All we learned was that she wanted to push the button.

The next day, I drove back to the store to look for myself. And when I asked the cashier, she smiled and said they had found it! But someone had thrown away my phone number so she couldn't call me. Relieved, I followed her back to the office where she retrieved it. Another worker told me that in her 11 years at Dollar Tree, she has found 5 GDO's. Seriously?

Anyway, we were all thrilled that it had been found, and Allie was especially happy that she wouldn't have to give up all her birthday money to buy a new one. Because now she can go back to the Dollar Tree and buy more chapstick and lipgloss.

This picture has nothing to do with any stories, but Carter has been loving his baths lately. And he is outgrowing that little tub. And I'm not looking forward to putting him in the real tub when I have to bend over and strain my back. But he's happy.