Annika's Birthday Parties...Plural

Annika kind of had four birthday celebrations this year. The first was with her classmates on June 2 when they trooped down from school to celebrate her birthday and the freedom that comes with the end of the school year. After school, Annika opened her presents with just the family and before Dan went back to work after the class root beer party.

After that, we then drove to our friend Mary's house because Emily and Megan felt left out--Lauren's class had gone to a farm earlier that day and Emily knew about it. Annika had requested brownies for her birthday dessert--with chocolate chip chunks--so we brought some of our treats with to Mary's--not knowing Mary had another friend of ours (Amber) and her mother, daughter and granddaughters. Presto! Instant party! Which also explains why some of the brownies are missing as Annika blows out her candles.

The last day of school, June 3, is when Annika had her real birthday celebration with friends--rather, I should say "formal" celebration. Annika wanted a full-blown tea party. She hand wrote her invitations inviting the girls to wear their best dresses. She invited six girls and her teacher, Miss Wubben. We even were blessed with two additional girls. This is where the training I received working in junior high ministry comes in handy--I'm much better prepared to fly by the seat of my pants!

High tea included orange sherbet for round one, finger sandwiches (peanut butter and jelly...), cream puffs, and fillo cups filled with cream cheese/powder sugar frosting and raspberries. We had enough tea cups for everyone and tea (with cream and three lumps of sugar) and hot chocolate. Emily, Megan, Lauren and our neighbor Nena had their own table in the living room. Unfortunately, this means Megan was not completely supervised at all times. And took about 22 lumps of sugar in her tea. Fortunately, she didn't drink the sludge.

Some of the comments heard? "This is the best tea party I've ever been to. I've never been to one before."

Weirdest thing to happen? I didn't think about the fact lemon and raspberry teas might curdle the cream. Oops. Yes, dear, I can see why your tea doesn't taste very good.

Megan getting ready to help make the brownies.

Annika displaying her new dress from Papa and Grandma Wheeler--she wore it to her tea party the next day.

And the jacket from Grandma Barb

I just like the look on her face. She already has been sunkissed--so early in the season.

Bargain of the century: this pink bow is around $60 at our local sporting goods store. We don't usually spend that much on single birthday presents. However, one or two weeks before her birthday, one of our neighbors was having a garage sale. Her granddaughter had outgrown her pink bow. Price? $5. Annika's joy? Priceless.

All of the girls who attended the tea party were thrilled when their teacher Miss Wubben was able to make it. We were thrilled because we invited her to stay for dinner and she did! It wasn't delivery. It was DiGiorno's. You gotta love a teacher who is willing to stay for frozen pizza.