Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Pre-Birthday Party

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A week ago my sister brought the girls down again.  This time we were doing a little pre-birthday party because Annie's 4th birthday was going to be the next day.   And Lisa wanted to make dinner.  That girl is Dangerous in the kitchen.

The girls are just Adorable.  So while Lisa was doing some preparations, I took them outside for a little porch play and mini- photo shoot.   They are easy to photograph when they are happy and playing.


They remind me of little Harry Potters.  They were waving sticks around conducting an imaginary band.  


Sometimes it's hard to get them to look at me at the same time.  All I said was "Hey Girls".  I should try that.  


Then they started playing Peek A Boo around the pillars.  


Even my little Peek-a-Pooka.  


Annie was in pure joyville watching Princess play.  Can you spot the peek a pooka hiding?  


This is the best picture I've taken of Annie in a long time.  It's not often I can capture her Joy.  She usually won't smile for the camera.   Maybe it's something about turning 4, she's getting to be a big girl.  Love her dimple.  I feel like I've seen it somewhere before. ;)  


This was my favorite of Charlie from the day, I went out back to keep the kids company as they ran around, and laid down in my hammock, and Charlie came over and "helped" push me.  She was such a Beautiful little helper. 


Aren't they cute?!  Playing Pirates and Pooches. 



Oh Lisa, don't get sucked in to the Cuteness of a Crazy Pooch! 


 Let the Games Begin!  


Lisa brought these beautiful beets to cook up for us.  I'd heard of golden beets, but not sampled them.  And I'd never seen a white beet before, it was my favorite! 


I'll confess it, Lisa went a little crazy at the store.  She got filets and scallops and brought a bazillion vegetables to roast up.  And if you think it looks good here, you should have smelled my kitchen!


Ahh, Meat.  With and without the cooking wine.  :) 


And Eric got to work the scallops, always his favorite.  And I just love watching them in the kitchen.  I'm not the chef sort, I can cook, it just doesn't bring me as much Joy as it does these two.  I love desserts, love to bake and eat.  But making sweet things and making the bulk of dinner require two different kind of chefs.  


And wouldn't you know, I didn't bake a cake.  I haven't felt much like extreme cooking in a while.  Shameful, I know, especially when I see these two go hog wild.

Instead I schemed a scheme for dessert.  But my boys weren't eligible because all they ate was the meat and no veggies from dinner.  Too bad, we took care of their problems.  I suggested that we girls go to Orange Leaf.  These girls had never been.  It was up to Auntie Cathy to change that!

So for our girl's night out, we took Annie for some almost birthday froyo.


Oh the Amazement.  Can you say Free Samples?! 


I am so grateful for the sweet employee who got a group picture of us.  Thank You!  


Charlie has this skill, that until you've seen it, you can't believe it.  Did you ever see that commercial for Reach toothbrushes, the Bisecting head trick?  Charlie can do that.  Her jaw comes unhinged, like a snake, or hippo.  It's hysterical.  We were doing impressions.  


Annie came close. 


And this little one takes care of the whole thing, covered in red velvet and cheesecake, she looks like she's a vampire who just fed.  


And Annie, who learned to eat at the Prissy School of Eating, probably didn't need to finish every single drop with the spoon.  Charlie picked up and chugged, but not our sugar high birthday princess.  She relished every drop, and had a completely wonderful time.  She kept Thanking me and thanking me, even Thanking God in Prayers for Orange Leaf, and the next day.  Yeah, I think she liked it.  It was a pretty good day for Aunt Cathy too.

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