Happy Birthday Eileen!

Today my itty bitty Baby Eileen turned 5.  I've never seen anyone so excited to turn five.  Normally, she doesn't respond when people ask her questions.  But ask her how old she is turning and you will get an enthusiastic answer.  Eileen woke up full of energy.  She remarked that she couldn't believe how much she had grown during the night when she changed from 4 to 5.  She grew taller and her feet grew too.  Now her socks fit much better.

We started out the morning baking her cake.  Eileen requested a rainbow cake.  I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Linus struggled throughout the course of the morning with the fact that he was not being celebrated. The day before we celebrated Eileen's birthday with Dave's family.  Grandma Gail and Grandpa Larry gave her some more Goldie Blox and a really beautiful Matrioshka.  Several months ago I commissioned my niece, Nola, who is in 7th grade and one of the most talented people I know, to create a felted a woodland scene for Eileen's birthday. I was blown away by the results and am currently trying to convince her to open her own Etsy shop.

Linus eventually settled down enough to play with Eileen and "help" her with her new Goldie Blox.

It ended up being a surprisingly quiet morning while Dave was gone at work.  He came home after lunch and my mom sat with a sleeping Robin while the rest of us headed to Bullwinkle's Family Fun Center.  Eileen kept talking about Chuck E. Cheese and I just couldn't face an afternoon there.  I happened to have a groupon to Bullwinkles that was set to expire soon.  Bullwinkles was still pretty loud and crazy, but there was a lot more fun to be had.  I think Linus probably had the most fun of anyone.  We played mini-golf, arcade games, lazer tag, bumper cars, kid obstacle course, and Linus got to try the euro-bungy.

Exhausted, I came home and fell asleep.  I awoke in time to make the requested birthday dinner--grilled cheese and tomato soup.  My parents and younger siblings joined us.  Linus had to be coaxed to dinner.  The sight of Eileen's presents was just too much to bear.

I think my brother, Tim, hates me.  He unknowingly granted Eileen her greatest toy wish and got her a giant stuffed animal.  In this case, a beautiful unicorn.  Only aunts and uncles give kids giant stuffed toys (although I am able to recognize I would have coveted it as a little girl).

Eileen also received a large fluffy pink tuffet from my parents, 3 stuffed My Little Ponies from Sally, and a set of rainbow ear muffs and infinity scarf and a pink razor scooter from us.  Robin gave her some fairy stickers and Linus gave her a butterfly finger puppet.

Eileen is one happy little girl.  She is so lucky to have so many people in her life who love her.  She went to bed tonight with her new toys set up around her, wearing her ear muffs.

And now birthday season is officially over at our house.  Happy Birthday Eileen!  (And happy birthday to cousin Dylan tomorrow and uncle Chris the day after that).