The Donoghue Family: Birthday - Birthday

Evie girl is growing up! 5 years old! She has matured a lot this year, but is still our spunky little one.

This is five

We wanted to make sure she had a very special day since she couldn't have a party or really see anyone. Her birthday actually started earlier the day before when Grammer and Pops came for a quick present drop-off visit. Evie is now the proud owner of a Ziggle, and wow, she can go fast and far on it!

Ziggle-ing with bank robbers in the background

We started her birthday with video messages from all her family members and most of her classmates.

Genuine joy on her sweet face while watching her video

Here's the video, but it's like 12 minutes long... just posting for future me.

She got lots of presents throughout the day, but I think her favorite was her very own hoverboard. She has asked for her own blue hoverboard since the day Maggie got hers four months ago! Is it excessive? Probably. Does it keep them endlessly busy choreographing spin moves? Definitely.

So excited!

Uncle Bobby's crew drove over later in the morning and she loved seeing her cousins for a while. No pics because it was raining / I forgot...

Troll hair, don't care
(Thanks, Rabines!)

I has asked our police and fire chiefs if they could send a patrol car or engine to wish her a happy birthday at noon. They ended up coming early at 11:30, but we heard all four of them coming - two fire engines and two patrol cars! Honestly, she was mostly just confused but she enjoyed it. I think we scared the crap out of our neighbors though, they laid on the horns and sirens!

Happy Birthday, Evie!

Later in the day we had a parade from the Donoghues and Odglens with special happy birthday signs! It was so hard for the kids to stay apart, but we made it work. Evie happily opened presents in the driveway, and was most excited about her giant Ariel doll and corresponding seashell makeup kit.

Missing Grandma

Ariel is now "part of her world"

Unicorn hoop catching game... game face on

The best cake decorating I could do... I was satisfied
(and we made brownies too as a backup!)

Two days later was Jamie's birthday! He's such an extrovert, that I thought this might be his lamest birthday ever, but he said it actually turned out really great! We let him sleep in all morning, then he drove out to a local brewery to pick up coffee and some to-go beers (and probably played Pokemon). We spoiled him with all sorts of gifts that seemed to make his day, all based around the five senses:

Hearing: engraved drumsticks and a case for his airpods
Sight: some fancy homemade art work from the girls
Taste: surprise, more beer from one of his new favorite spots
Smell: a basket of personal care items to make sure he never stinks (this was pretty lame)
Touch: a new iPad touch

Later on he drove to Ann Arbor for another beer pickup (the theme of the day was to get a much-deserved break from parenting, best excuse for a long drive) - and then he came home to ice cream cake and chill.

Happy birthday dear Daddy

Maggie made this and it is amazing

One of his first photos on the iPad, loving this face

Ben took his first steps this week, just shy of 15 months. He took a couple "steps" that were more like falling a couple days ago, but today he kept standing up and taking 3-5 steps at a time! I think Evie started walking around this time too. Not the best video because it was right before nap time... but documentation!

He just start standing up alone last week, but that's old news now!

All of sudden, Ben just seems older this week. His face is changing, and he just has so much to "say" all the time. Unlike the girls, he does not respond well to "no." With them, all we had to do was give a stern look, point and say "no" really sharply. With Ben, he'll look remorseful, but then go right back to doing whatever he shouldn't... sometimes it's hard to keep a straight face.

Bath night

Spring picnic

All my kids love this horse

Look what I can do!

Standing tall

Still my mama's boy

Maggie has been working hard on all her schoolwork, and we had a fun art assignment this week (Getty challenge) to recreate a famous work of art. She practiced her expression for quite a while!

Girl at Mirror

The real thing

Who said babies should have all the fun?

Another cool photo from the iPad

Nothing else to report here. Looks like I'll be going back to work mid-month, and I think Jamie is terrified of that. The girls have schoolwork until the end of May, and then it's just summer vacation.