I imagine it will take quite some time to finish, but we’ve got a good start, and the process is going to be the fun part.

Busy day for Miss Brett yesterday.  Up and at ‘em early, lots of adventures, lots of fun.  We did a lot of our usual traditions — drinking out of the Happy Birthday mug and Queen/King For The Day and hitting the bookstore for treats.  But we also tried some new things this year.

First is a Birthday Book.  Rather than giving/making cards, we got a small journal/notebook that all of us can use to write special messages to the birthday person each year.  It went over well, so I think I’ll be picking up three more notebooks in the future for the rest of us.   Luke had trouble coming up with his message the day before, but eventually got inspired just before bedtime.  This is what he wrote:

Dear Brett, I love you. Tomorrow you’re going to be seven. You’re the best girl ever.

Man, I love that kid!

We also decided, at the end of the day, to release all the birthday balloons into the wild.  They’d have been dead by the next morning anyhow, and Brett liked the idea that maybe one of her balloons would travel all the way across the ocean!

Pancake breakfast, opening gifts, building two new big-kid beds for Wogilina and Jack, Discovery Place, lunch out, loading up at the bookstore, milkshake break, blowing up and playing with a zillion balloons, brownies for dessert, and general fun all day long.  What a good day!

Here are a few scenes of a Birthday in the Life.  That sweet, sweet girl cannot possibly be seven. Somebody pinch me.

Today the long-awaited arrival of our live caterpillars.  We’ll get to watch them eat, and grow, and best of all observe their metamorphosis into Painted Lady butterflies.

The kids want to release the butterflies into the wild only after our butterfly garden out back starts blooming -  because then “they might stay here and be like our pets!”

And a combo birthday package for the kids containing tons of great books and these awesome play tents.

For now, Brett’s is a Warrior Cat Cave [of course], and Luke’s is a tent where Nick the Fighter Guy can slay some dragons.

I see hours of creative fun in our futures!

Brett had a great time being “The Boss” for the day.  Luckily she was a benevolent dictator and we all enjoyed the day.

Rather than the SC Zoo, Brett chose a trip to Discovery Place.  A good thing as the weather was kind of strange – we had rain, sunshine, hail, chilly wind and hot sun, all in the same day.

Brett got her birthday crown from her old class at Berewick.  We visited Monday afternoon and brought a treat for her buddies to enjoy.  The Girl wore that crown all day Tuesday.

Balloons, the Happy Birthday mug, the Warrior cat book box set, a new bunk bed for Jack & Wogilina, Discovery Place and Sonic lunch complete with milkshakes, the b0okstore, more running around, pizza and strawberry shortcake for dinner.  Whew. No wonder we all went to bed early.