Emmy is 8!

Emmy turned 8 years old yesterday! So this blog turns 8 years old today!

This year we decided to celebrate a little differently and have a small sleepover with two of her friends instead of a big party. We went to Spain last week (more about that soon), so in the end not having a big birthday party turned out to be good for Mom's planning sanity. Ha!

All in all, I think she had a great birthday weekend!

The Saturday before her birthday, she had two friends, Freja and Iza, over for a sleepover. I took them to the trampoline park nearby for an hour. Then they came home for pizza and a movie, enjoying their spa bags I'd put together and playing with make up (Emmy recently received a bunch of make up from our friend Katie, who was cleaning out her stores of beauty products). They made ice cream sundaes and watched some more of the movie and had their slumber party in the living room. The next morning, the parents of both friends (Freja's parents are some of our best friends here, we're with them all the time) and our friends Chris and Michelle and Katie came over for brunch. Of course, we had Emmy's favorite biscuits and sausage gravy, along with quiche, fruit, and grits. It was a different sort of birthday party this year but I think she had a really good time. It was fun to do something smaller.

Spa bags!

They loved their spa bags! 

As soon as they had eaten their popcorn and pizza, they were upstairs to play with their spa bags and put on make up. 

Ice cream sundaes!

Matthew LOVED having two extra big girls around. When Emmy hopped up, he quickly settled down in the middle between the other girls. Emmy made him move back up to the sofa upon her return. Also, note he also wanted a sleep mask. Fortunately, they came two to a pack so he could have his own. 

She requested carrot cake for her birthday, so I made mini cupcakes, which was perfect for brunch. 

Birthday morning! She got to open one small gift before breakfast. 

Impossible to get them to both look at me. Matty's hair is pretty typical of mornings around here. 

She wanted chocolate cake for her class. 

Pictures from her teacher! Can you tell I fell on the stairs carrying the cake up to her classroom? 

Birthday dinner, Michelle's recipe for chicken and dumplings. Fortunately Mom making it was still acceptable. 

More presents! Some clothes, a wallet she'd picked out in the Netherlands, and a new jewelry box for her jewelry, to include new earrings for her soon-to-be-pierced ears. 

Opening her necklace from SuSu and Big Daddy (they are on skype, you just can't see them). It is a pearl earring of SuSu's that's mate went missing, so she had it turned into a pendant, and the chain was Grandmommie's (her great-grandmother). 

We can't believe this girl is eight years old now! She is, by far, the best big sister any little brother could ever ask for. He adores her and she is wonderful with him. She is patient (most of the time), loving, plays with him, shows him things and teaches him things. It is delightful to see. She is smart and funny and observant. She still asks a million questions and wants to know how things work. She still sings all the time, I always say she was born with a song in her heart. She loves science and wanted a chemistry set and microscope for her birthday. She still loves babies, both dolls and real ones. She is going to be a great baby-sitter one day in the future. She is super excited to get her ears pierced soon. She still loves the beach and had a great time in Mallorca the other week with our friends, finding shells, building sandcastles and splashing in the water. She was also wonderful with their three little boys and they enjoyed being bossed around and mommy-ed by her.  Charles and I are pretty lucky we get to be her parents Happy 8th Birthday, Emmy!