baby’s turn

I recently added a post for my niece’s 6th birthday, and now I have to get to what we did the next day – celebrate her sister’s 1st birthday!  After all the fanfare with the tea and the dresses and gloves and boas, this birthday party was a little more relaxed.  We had a family of neighbors and Lilly’s teacher (also my sister’s friend) over for pizza and cupcakes.  I don’t think Lilly had any idea what was going on, but she did seem to enjoy the birthday serenade put on by the other kids, and she had no problem attacking that cake.

This was all over 5 months ago, and she’s a different kid now.  And although I love the big, running, smiling girl she is now, looking back at these made me miss the baby she was then.

Here’s an overview of the day:

 

Morning of the birthday, she liked to spend her early mornings behind the living room curtains in their old house.

Although she’s much changed now, she does still love getting a look at the outdoors.

Minnie Mouse decorations, and time with her favorite teacher.

I could make a whole collage out of images of her sitting with her feet stacked, her hands clasped, and her cheeks sucked in. Her favorite toy at 1 year – the drawer full of aprons and pot holders.

So glad I have a picture of this moment. The guests were served first, but this 4-year-old boy pushed his pizza towards my niece, and sweetly said, “Here, Sara Beth, you can have mine.” Which she took without hesitation. (Her dad came over and gave it back to him.)

Brief moment with the mouse ears in place.

Ok, just one more in this pose. This time with the birthday dress.

There’s nothing like a little personal band performance on you birthday.

She doesn’t stay quite so still as this now.

Begin all the gratuitous cake-face shots.

Our blue-eyed token baby friend guest.

Help from sister with the gifts.

After 2 days of partying, the girls are beat.

 

 

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Triplets!

Yes, triplets!  I haven’t officially worked with multiples before, and I got to jump right over the twins thing (two babies?  Ha. That’s nothing) right into triplets.  These guys (2 boys, A & B, and a girl, N) weren’t quite four months old yet when I visited them at home, and so, despite mom’s wishes, weren’t quite ready to all smile together.  Actually, we didn’t have too many moments where none of the three weren’t in a fussing state (sometimes you’re ready to eat or sleep, you know?), but I like to think they’ll all appreciate looking back on the crying moments some day, too.  Some quieter day.  🙂

Really, they did very well for little babies!  Put up with me well most of the time, it’s just hard to keep three little ones happy all at once, all of the time.  But they’re adorable through it all, and I loved visiting with these siblings and their parents!

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6 ladies have tea to celebrate 6

Back in the spring, I went to the outskirts of the Ozarks to be with my nieces for their birthdays.  First for a 6th birthday, and two days later for a 1st birthday.  That was before any of us had any idea they’d be moving to Georgia this summer, and that would be the last birthdays in their Arkansas home.

I’ve put those photos on the backburner while working on others, but am finally going to review the 6th birthday party – a tea party! – here.  Yes, for my own 6th, I think there was something like a gym, with lots of kids running around blowing whistles and rolling hula hoops and bouncing balls.  But this girl wanted a tea party.  I believe the invitation said something like, “Put on your finest dress and your mother’s pearls, we’re having tea with just the girls” – for each their own.

It was a little bittersweet looking back at these, knowing what good friends she’s left behind.  There was one “BFF” in particular (that’s how she always describes her, “My BFF”), who she only met on the school bus last year, even though she had lived on the next block all for years.  I know they spent her last 2 nights together there, slumbering at one house and then the other, and my niece told me that when she was picked up to finally go, her BFF stood there clutching her bear and sobbing.  Then she said, rather wistfully, “I really miss that girl.”

Morning set up up of seating cards, while little sister assists by pulling everything out of low-lying drawers.

Getting some athleticism out of the way with a Saturday game, and then on to the frills!

heart-shaped sandwiches and assorted tea cups

And now little sister has found a party favor… and put it on the floor as well. (She ended up napping through the entire party.)

Waiting for guests to arrive.

She looked out impatiently the exact same way at her 4th birthday party. I went back and found an old photo for comparison.

Tea time! Yes, I’m afraid those are real sugar cubes…

1st activity – pick out your hat.

2nd activity – decorate a frame.

Quietly working. They were uncannily silent (and so lady-like) during the first part of the party.

Decorated hats, waiting to dry.

All tea-ladied up.

Laughing with a sweet friend.

Surveying the goods.

mmm, strawberry cream cheese and pink lemonade.

Pinky in place.

Even I put on some pearls and a hat.

Cake time is really more like “frosting time.” And then the sugar kicks in and the group hugs began.

More group hug. I think this ended in some little girl bodies tipping to the ground, and pearls being sprayed everywhere.

All lined up for a race.

Relay race to fill a cup with sugar cubes! (This time the cubes were marshmallows.)

And backyard chaos begins.

Kicking off their shoes and letting loose.

And one with the BFF to end with. I think they were singing as they were swinging.

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[…] recently added a post for my niece’s 6th birthday, and now I have to get to what we did the next day – celebrate her sister’s 1st […]

Family

“There’s something about cousins.”

A good friend of mine, one who was lucky enough to grow up with her own cousins near by, looked at me one day and said that with a smile.  And I knew just what she meant.  In my family, there were 4 sets of cousins on my mother’s side (who is one of four siblings), and while none of us were in the same state, we were at least all in the southeast.  We saw each other at Thanksgiving at my Grandmother’s house, and somewhere in the summer for a family reunion.  And if we were lucky, maybe there’d be another visit with a family or two at another time during the year.

There were 11 of us cousins, and I was neither the oldest (like in my own family), or the youngest, but fell comfortably in the middle.  I think I must have often attached myself to the oldest girls, who were kind enough to always make me feel included.  One of our traditions was to always hold a “talent show” which usually featured skits made up by pairs of cousins, and I’m pretty sure I thought mine were the funniest, most creative people I knew.   When they were coming to my own house, I remember sitting out in the front yard, or at the top of the street, waiting and waiting with impatience and excitement for them to arrive.

It’s harder to get together these days.  Most of my cousins have their own families, with their own school and practice schedules, and we’re also a bit more spread out now.  But this summer we were able to pull off a reunion – something that we usually can’t do no matter how far in advance we try to plan –  in a very short amount of time.   I was particularly excited for my own nieces (mostly the 6-year-old, as I’m sure the 1-year-old didn’t know what was happening around her, although she did get TONS of attention).  They have a few first cousins on the other side of their family, but haven’t had much of a chance to know their cousins on their mother’s (and my) side.  We are up to 11 children of the next generation – the same number of us that we had growing up.  And they were all together for the first time ever.  I think I was a little too focused on that – next time I’m going to be sure to take more pictures of the adults!  My niece had a rare shy moment when we first walked into the house, and heard all the unfamiliar voices beyond the foyer, but by the end of the weekend, we had to (literally) drag her out of there.  The poor thing was in the middle of a move out of state and had just left her own friends behind.  After a weekend of sharing a girl-rific bedroom with an older 11-year-old, and having so many playmates around her, she had a little break down moment when it came to going home.
But I’m glad she loves her cousins as much as I do.

These are some snapshots from that weekend; all at two Tennessee homes of my cousins who were incredibly wonderful hosts.

 

My niece was thrilled to be bunking with this 11-year-old cousin she just met. And she got a manicure out of it.

The 3 boys were outnumbered by 8 girls. And one of the girls gets a pool lesson from her grandfather.

All the girls (all but the very youngest).

Boys sticking together

Some recognition for the cook

Getting sunscreened

Another girl and her grandfather.

I got really wet a moment after this was taken.

catch-up time for the grown-ups

My cousin Taylor takes control of pool games.

My niece asking my cousin to pull out her tooth.

This baby got spoiled.

hmm… one of these things is not like the other. Trampoline evidence.

Yet another girl with her grandfather.

Baseball in the back yard.

The baby couldn’t be happier. And if you listen really closely, you can hear the dog pleading for help.

They actually came up with a little mini talent show. Theirs featured more singing than ours had.

All 11.

I did at least get this one of a few adults.

My niece imprinted upon my cousin John. I hope she always has such good taste in people.

The big girls taking pictures with the littlest one. (Who is on her way to taking over the dog bed.)

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6 months

I met this guy 3 months ago, for, well, 3 month-old shots.  I documented how adorable I found him to be over here.  Well, he’s now a little bit bigger, and still so happy.  Everyone should try to hear some baby belly laughs once a day – you can’t not smile when you hear a laugh like this.

 

 

 

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