Happy Birthday, Eve!

Finally her sixth birthday! Eve is the youngest in her grade, and by the time her birthday comes around at the end of October, some of the kids in her class are already seven. It's hard to be patient for it, but she does her best by counting down the days for over a month before!

I wish I had a better picture of the present Hyrum made for his sister. He was really proud of the computer terminal he constructed for her out of bits from his stash of broken stuff.
There was a keyboard, a clock (so she knows what time it is!), a few computer pieces, and a space for a pretend monitor. He also gave her all of his money--$3.  That boy has a tender heart, even if he doesn't show it very often.

I had prepared Eve for the fact that she wasn't going to get a ton of presents--three from Mom and Dad and one from Grandma. She was a bit sad when I told her this two days before her birthday, but I explained that sometimes, fewer presents mean you'll love what you're getting even more.

And she did. I stewed over which American Girl doll to get her--a lookalike or a historical character--and I ended up with Caroline Abbott, a green-eyed girl with long curly hair. She carried Caroline around with her all morning, and from the second she got home from school until she went to sleep.

School got out early that day for parent/teacher conferences, and it was the perfect time for a birthday party. We started by making soft pretzels. The kids loved this, and I enjoyed watching all of their creativity come out. Even my boys got in on it.

Of course we had to have cupcakes . . .

. . . and the only ones at the store that weren't Halloween themed were Breast Cancer Awareness themed.

Pink is pink when you're six, thankfully.

While we waited for pretzels to cook, Hyrum took his job as the entertainment committee very seriously.

Then it was time for the pinata.

Each of the seven kids took three swings, but none could break it.

Two rounds through all of the guests, and no one could break it.

It tore loose from the makeshift tie a few times, but it never popped open.

This little guy was the only boy invited. He told his mom that he wanted to buy Eve a pink dress. When she asked if he meant a dress-up dress, he said, "No. A real dress." When Eve opened it, I turned to him and said, "Nice dress. I think Eve will like that." He turned to me and smoothly said, "Thanks. My mom picked it out. She did good." Still laughing about that one.

After two rounds of the little kids failing to break it, I let Hyrum and Micah have a crack.

If you look closely at this picture, you can see where I poked a hole in it before Micah swung. It was the most stubborn pinata ever!

I love this little girlie. She had a long birthday day where she wasn't able to choose everything normally part of birthday traditions at our house. Instead of eating out, we brought her choice of McDonald's home before we headed out as a family for a meeting--that lasted two HOURS. The whole time, she snuggled Caroline and asked when we would get home to have birthday cake.

9:20 pm, and she was blowing out her candles.

This little baby of mine is growing up. She loves her dad more than any of her siblings and requests him to read to her and tuck her in every night. She recently learned my cell number and will call me randomly whenever I'm not home. "Mom, where are you?" I'm driving, why? "I just called to tell you I love you!" or "Mom, is it night where you are?" Yes, Baby. It is. "Wow! Here too!"

I love her. I love watching her and hugging her and tickling her and teaching her and being her mom.

Happy Birthday Eve!