Where does the time go

Saturday was Lorelli's SIXTH birthday. Can you believe it? Some of you have been here QUITE some time and have watched this little munchkin grow, just as I have. She has gotten to be such a big girl.

Jennifer and I were up until the WEE hours of the morning finishing up her playhouse as best as possible and getting the house cleaned and her presents set up on the table so that when she woke up she would be able to see them.

We let her play in her play house and sandbox a little bit while we tried to wake up and drink some coffee (Jennifer) and tea (me). My mother-in-law made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast with whipped cream on top and we put a 6 candle on that so she could blow it out and make a wish.

Then we loaded up in the car and headed to Rochester to go to the National Museum of Play for the day. She tried on old timey clothes, she visited 123 Sesame Street, took a picture with Sister Bear, did some grocery shopping at Wegman's, and rode the carousel.

All in all, I would say it was a good day. We spent 5.5 hours in the museum, then went and had ice cream, then drove home. She was crashed out so hard that Jennifer had to carry her in and accidentally bonked her head, yet she kept on sleeping. And then she slept until after NINE A.M. on Sunday. 

Yesterday we lounged around all day watching movies and doing laundry and recuperating. 

Today, I am making her cake : Raspberry with vanilla frosting! 

Hope you are all enjoying your wonderful holiday weekend. See you soon. 

BBQ at Buttermilk

Lorelli had been talking all weekend about how Monday is about the soldiers. We told her this is true but that it is a day for soldiers that have passed, whether in life, war, combat, or anything and that we pray for them and honor them on Monday. Well, recently, we got an American flag to hang in our front yard. So, every time she passed our front window (the whole weekend) she would bow her little head and put her hands together and say some kind of little prayer for the soldiers. It was pretty much one of the cutest things she has done in a while. One time she told me that her little prayer was, "Dear God, I am sorry that the soldiers had to die. I hope they are happy now and that their moms and kids are not so sad."

Monday Lorelli and I were both off and Jennifer had to work a little bit. But we planned on attending this awesome BBQ out at Buttermilk Falls with a bunch of friends from her old job site. It was HOT HOT HOT on Monday. Like seriously...95 degrees or something. That's pretty darn hot for up here. And there was no cool breeze. If I have your phone number, you probably received a text saying something along the lines of, "Days like today make me rejoice for the feminist movement. No way would we survive in hoop skirts, petticoats, and full body bustiers!" But, I digress. We went to the falls and had a FANTASTIC time hanging out and chatting.

At first, there was only Lorelli in the kid age group. And then two other little kids, and then 3 more, then 1 more....you get the picture. By the end of the picnic there was a group of 25+ people and lots of kiddos. We had brought some Crayola color bubbles and some sidewalk chalk for her to play with in case she was the only kid. She's pretty good at entertaining herself most of the time. She took her sidewalk chalk down to the bottom of the hill and started drawing. A kid from the picnic came down and drew with her. And  then another. And then a random kid from the park. And another. Pretty soon, I think that every child in Ithaca was there coloring on the sidewalk at the park. It was SOO great!

A waterfall to the lake

hard at work

A whole town's effort

And of course....since we were at the falls....there was some water play. There were plenty of signs that said NO SWIMMING!!! But that didn't stop us from sticking our feet in.

Her co-worker's young daughter

3 happy girls

The afternoon turned out to be a huge success and everyone there had a a blast!