Nothing like a stabbing! Everly is 10!

 It's fair to say I've let a few things go as the kids get older. Little traditions and extra silliness that made their days a little bit magical. 

Everly is still a kid, though. She benefits from all the big stuff we do and the experiences that we can provide now that we have a little more time and money.

Lion Chaser 3 times a week?

I rest my case. 

But those little magical things live on in her memory and come up in conversations like ...."I sure wish I could run through the streamers on my birthday morning .....*dreamy sigh*.....that was always the funnest thing and made my birthday feel so special."

Please hold while I set an alarm for Saturday morning and add streamers and tape to the shopping list.

Its a "Friend Year" and that means a party! We had loads to do before her pals arrived so we set out to Walmart to pick up a few supplies, then over to PetCo to select a crested gecko! She chose the climbiest one and named him Dragonfly. Back to Walmart to see if Claire's had opened for the epic piercing of ears....but alas...since Covid, business hours are more a general suggestion. No worries, we zip to the dollar store for some shiny balloons!

We headed to Olathe Pet store to get a Repti-hammock and then to Neighborhood market for ice cream and purified water for the lil' lizard. We still had time to spare so we went to Everly's favorite for lunch, Subway! She ate all the pickles!

We took 4 of her friends out to go ice skating at Park Place ice rink!

I discovered that were it not for the "skate helpers" we would have been toast. How was I planning on helping 5 little girls survive their first time on the ice without concussions or broken butts? I know not. 

Soon, they earned their ice legs and they were ditching the ice walkers! Those are for babies!

There was the usual amount of silliness and grumbling. I received multiple requests to take them out to lunch at one of the neighboring pricey establishments. I wasn't born yesterday. All it took was the promise of a QT slushy and I had some very happy girls on my hands. 

We were running late to get home in time to meet the girls parents for pick up...these girls executed their QT slushie retrieval with surgical precision. I was impressed....and tired. Did I mention I woke up at 5:30 am to make a batch of sugar cookies that we wouldn't have time to decorate after ice skating? 

These things happen.

Mom's were ready to roll and the girls quickly gave her her gifts. 

When it was all over, we figured we better head over to Claire's one more time to see if they could pierce this girl's ears. Will future generations someday feel horrified that we celebrated a birthday by stabbing something right through a body part? 

Maybe.

But at least we're stabbing her with her birthstone. 

And with freshly pierced ears and a cutie pie new gecko in the house (that makes THREE!), she goes to sleep as the newest 10 year old in the hood. 

Sunday we celebrated with her fave dinner...Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli and rolls. 

Flynns came over to celebrate with the cutes mini donuts you have ever laid eyes on! And some melty ice cream I accidentally left out on the counter too long...I'm human!

Happy 10th birthday, Sweet Beet!