Summer is a busy time for us in so many ways, but two of the most momentous events that occur each summer are our daughters’ birthdays.  Our youngest turned six in July, and she celebrated her big day by inviting friends to our neighborhood Fourth of July picnic.  There was a bar-b-que with a copious amount of potluck dishes, a live band that sang Happy Birthday to her, as well as potato sack races and other family yard games.  The kids played in the sand and water at the riverfront beach area, enjoyed an inflatable water slide, and basically just ran around and had a good time.

Our oldest daughter turned nine in August, and she celebrated with her first slumber party.  It went surprisingly smoothly.  She spent two days cleaning the house from top to bottom and decorating for the party (with no prompting from me).  She made a list of slumber party activities and managed to check them all off.  Items on the list included:

1. Have a pillow fight
2. Do a craft
3. Dance Party
4. Eat Cheesecake
5. Watch a scary movie

The movie they chose was “Coraline,” based on the Neil Gaiman book.  For the craft, we decorated eye masks and ear plugs for the ultimate in beauty rest accessories.  Each girl got to take home her own customized set the next morning.