a birthday, summer break & the zoo

Someone we know and love turned six years old recently.

Little Sister's birthday actually fell on the last day of school. We celebrated that evening with carry-out pizza, mini ice cream sandwiches with a '6' candle wedged in between them, and Skyped with Daddy so we could sing Happy Birthday as a family.

Little Sis opened her gifts from us (a calculator! a purple polka-dot umbrella! a kitty journal!), but decided to save all other presents for the following morning, the day of her birthday party.

We were supposed to have said party at our favorite (across the street!) park, but it was pouring buckets, cats and dogs all morning. This is where I am lucky I am a neat freak, because it didn't take too long to whip the house into party shape.

And, really, look at that face. Do you think that girl cared one bit if the living room was vacuumed? She was just so elated her dearest friends came over for lunch and to sing her Happy Birthday.

Her bestie made them matching dresses. :-) I love it. 

School is out for summer! The first two days of vacation were very gray and wet. We managed to celebrate accordingly: If it was pouring outside, we were inside having a doll fashion show, reading a stack of library books, making cookies for a special guy, and coloring. If it wasn't pouring we were outside with bubbles, sidewalk chalk and taking excessively muddy puddle walks.

And we did not comb our hair.

 Appreciating our blooms.

We also took a girls' only trip to the zoo.

So far, summer vacation is pretty fabulous.