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<\/a><\/p>\nTonight was Laurel’s 7th birthday party.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0It was a big girl affair, not the American Girl party she\u00c2\u00a0talked about a few months ago.\u00c2\u00a0 Instead, she wanted it to be a “dance” party. Sigh…..<\/p>\n
The ham bone in the purple leggings is Laurel, now 7.<\/p><\/div>\n
In September, she added jazz to her ballet and tap dance classes.\u00c2\u00a0 Her cautious mother, Shelly, \u00c2\u00a0made certain that this program would\u00c2\u00a0be done in good taste and age appropriate and it was.\u00c2\u00a0 Now, her favorite colors are red and black (NO!!!!\u00c2\u00a0 Those are Georgia Bulldog colors and she is a Gator Girl!!!!).\u00c2\u00a0She tells me that those are “jazz” colors.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0She suddenly seems to be very grown up.<\/p>\n
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I volunteered to make the cake but had misgivings when I discovered that the\u00c2\u00a0color scheme\u00c2\u00a0was for black and hot pink.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 What!#$&*!!\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00c2\u00a0have always used\u00c2\u00a0pastels for\u00c2\u00a0her\u00c2\u00a0cakes and didn’t even have Wilton’s\u00c2\u00a0black paste icing color in my cupboard. But I got it and I did it and I don’t like it but Laurel loved it.\u00c2\u00a0 And that’s all that really matters.<\/p>\n
Shelly said all the girls’ teeth were black from the frosting! Of course, Laurel has 2 less to worry about.<\/p><\/div>\n
It reminded me of a shopping trip with my daughter Rebecca when she was 6.\u00c2\u00a0 As we were walking out of JC Penney, where we had gone\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0to get her a new Brownie uniform, she was awe struck by a girls purple dress hanging at the aisle.\u00c2\u00a0“Look, Mama!”\u00c2\u00a0 she gasped.\u00c2\u00a0 So I looked.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0It was a vulgar\u00c2\u00a0monstrosity weighted down with no less that 200 yds. of crunchy purple lace.\u00c2\u00a0 All I could think of was\u00c2\u00a0a pinata. Without thinking, I blurted out, “That is the ugliest dress I have ever seen!”\u00c2\u00a0 Rebecca looked up at me with shock in her huge blue eyes.\u00c2\u00a0 “Ugly?” she questioned.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00c2\u00a0realized then it would take some careful tutelage to \u00c2\u00a0school her to my vision of good taste.\u00c2\u00a0 Laurel’s appreciation of the cake was very similar to that.<\/p>\n
I’m so fortunate that my daughter-in-law always includes me in the party plans and preparations. She had ordered the dancer disc and musical notes for the cake,\u00c2\u00a0to continue the theme.<\/p>\n
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Shelly always has the most creative, fun, elaborate birthday parties for the children.\u00c2\u00a0 This gala schedule began with music and dancing\u00c2\u00a0under a\u00c2\u00a0rotating disco balloon, followed by swimming, homemade pizza, face painting, a Tinkerbell movie and finally, slumber. She had pink stemware for the homemade strawberry lemonade, chocolate covered pretzels for movie time and goodies galore for the girls.<\/p>\n
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I had a big time making\u00c2\u00a0matching pajamas for Laurel and her doll Molly.\u00c2\u00a0 While sewing pastel blue pajamas, I was in my comfort zone.\u00c2\u00a0 Time was so short that I didn’t get a picture of the doll jammies but they will be shown in my next post.\u00c2\u00a0 I had hoped there would be time for a little doll slumber bag but life got in the way of my sewing.<\/p>\n Robert, 5, is spending the night with us, away from all the giggling girls.\u00c2\u00a0 While\u00c2\u00a0his sister and friends\u00c2\u00a0party,\u00c2\u00a0he’s\u00c2\u00a0having\u00c2\u00a0his own fine time with Nana and Granddad–pizza, cupcakes, a movie, ice cream, late bedtime.\u00c2\u00a0 Life is good.<\/p>\n “When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window.”\u00c2\u00a0 Ogden Nash<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tonight was Laurel’s 7th birthday party.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0It was a big girl affair, not the American Girl party she\u00c2\u00a0talked about a few months ago.\u00c2\u00a0 Instead, she wanted it to be a “dance” party. Sigh….. In September, she added jazz to her ballet … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n