She wanted to see sharks for her birthday. To go to an aquarium. So we packed up and headed to the Twin Cities for three days of swimming, adventuring, and city exploring. I hung her birthday banner across our hotel room and cooked her favorite breakfast in a slow cooker by the sink. We went to the zoo, had Ethiopian food, and enjoyed the contrast that the city provides to our quiet everyday. We had a blast.
The day after we returned home three of her "fanciest" friends came over for a small, simple party. We dyed playsilks together and for party favors the children took them home along with glass jars of homemade play dough, the recipe to make more, and the thrift-store fancy tea cups that Lupine had picked out for each girl.
It was lovely. (And I can't say enough about the small guest list. Three is a great number of guests - for a four-year-old or a forty-year-old.)
As for my bold and straghtforward gift requests (talked about here), I'm so happy I mustered the courage to ask. The things she received were perfect and will be enjoyed for a long time. Glitter, sequins, and ribbons from one friend, a handmade bracelet from another, and the girl who brought Lupine a Barbie doll last year (when I did not muster the courage to ask for specific gifts) brought her a bag of crafty treasures from her own collections - feathers, pipe cleaners, glitter glue, stickers, and all kinds of other magic. Perfect.
And today? We will rest. It's been a joy-filled and busy week.
