Birthday party!!

Well, it was fabulous. FABULOUS. We were a little worried we wouldn't be able to pull off Rachel's birthday celebration at Laurelhurst Park today because someone (i.e., Lisa) mistakenly tossed the maps and signs that someone (i.e., Drew) had left in the mess on the dining room table where we store things until the Tenants Who Won't Leave do, in fact, leave. We love them. Really, we do. But we want our house back.

Anyway.

So, Drew took Rachel to her twirling and swim classes this morning while I frosted the cupcakes I'd baked last night. (Given a choice between cake and cupcakes, Rachel was very specific: Chocolate cupcakes with yellow frosting). Tip for all you aspiring frosting artists out there: A little yellow dye goes a long, long way.

Then I ran out to get some clothes altered, stopped at the bank and picked up party food at Fred Meyer, which was astonishingly uncrowded on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I got back just in time to collect Richard, who spent the morning relaxing with his Kindle, and then we went to the park.

Between the car and the park I lost the map that showed us where our site was, but a very kind young lady, Christie, who is also a part-time nanny, found it on her Smartphone. We got set up and soon everyone arrived, all of Rachel's little friends -- Lila and Devin from preschool, Baby Eva (Lila's 5-month-old sister), Jake (Amy's son), Linda, Doug, Jack, Andrew, Jean, David, Anne, and Nikole from the Oregonian, her husband Faraji and their baby girl, Nadjya.

And the fun began! We never did a formal candle-lighting; I just passed out the cupcakes and the pretzels and potato chips and fruit juice, and everyone had a ball (especially the grownups after Drew ran out and bought a bottle opener so the adults could polish off the pear cider that has been sitting in our garage for YEARS). Rachel looked adorable in her gold crown, chocolate smeared all over her face, laughing and running around the park with Lila and Devin. After a while Drew and the other parents took the kids to the play structure about a half-mile away while I caught up with Anne, David and Jean and Suzanne, who was trying to get Eva to sleep longer than the "micro-naps" she has been taking.

When the kids returned, we had half-melted chocolate ice cream (somehow the ice it was encased in failed to keep it from melting) and Rachel opened two presents -- a doll and a cool pink princess wand from Lila, and two books from Jake). Then folks started to leave, and while I had a long talk with Amy, Anne and David helped Rachel open the terrific gifts they gave her -- two puzzles, with BIG puzzle pieces, one of which teaches her to spell at the same time she's putting the pieces together -- and some books that she immediately insisted I read to her. Which was good, because I hadn't been able to hold her on my lap all day and cover her little face and neck with birthday kisses!

We ate dinner at the Belmont food carts again, which impressed Anne and David to no end. Richard said he could eat there every week, and I told him that's EXACTLY what Drew said last week, when we went there for the first time. Anne and David spontaneously decided to stay here tonight, so we're all going to have a leisurely breakfast tomorrow and then we'll decide whether we want to go with Doug, Linda, Anne, David and the boys to celebrate Jean's birthday at the Oregon Garden. It's a haul from here, but I think it would be a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Then we'll need to open gifts from Mom and Dad and Richard and everyone else. And we'll show Rachel her gift from Mommy and Daddy -- a play kitchen!

For dinner we'll probably grill steaks and potatoes and say goodbye to Richard, who is leaving very early Monday morning. Sniff! He and Rachel are really bonding; she actually likes having him pick her up, and it's so cute to watch her snuggle against his shoulder and hold his hand when they're walking down the sidewalk. I told him if he doesn't watch out, she will start insisting that he put her to bed! "That's OK," he replied. "I can do PopPop books."

Happy, happy birthday little girl. I know you won't remember this party, but we'll show you pictures of how happy you were.