Birthday Debachery

Although Delaney's birthday is still a week away we celebrated this weekend with a "Horsie Party," which was Tyce's (very perceptive) suggestion. We started out the day with opening the presents that she and Tyce had already opened twice the day before when I set them out. Laney did a nice job of acting surprised again, well, she probably was since she has the memory of an almost two-year-old. Todd and I had gotten her a gigantic plastic kitchen and had the video camera rolling when she came around the corner and saw it. Nothing. No response at all. She just walked up to it and started playing. We're feeling a little more gratified now that she has played with it non-stop for a few days. The gifts were followed up with a requested breakfast of french toast and pear honey while wearing her party hat and sunglasses, as pictured.

Family started arriving later in the morning and Delaney and Tyce were ecstatic to see everyone. Grandma Debbie and Papa Jared brought her a cowboy hat and a horse-riding helmet. She alternated wearing the two hats the rest of the day. The helmet came in especially handy since Grandpa Steve and Grandma Heather arrived bearing a brand new, handmade rocking horse. Tyce dragged out his wooden rocking horse and the races got a little intense. Tyce also taught Delaney to grab her hat and wave it up in the air while yelling "yeee-haaaaw". We have no idea where he learned that.

All of her little friends and their parents began arriving just in time for dinner and cake. The kids filled up on chips and guacamole and the grown-ups had some western-themed dinner. We held them off for as long as we could, but the kids eventually wore us down and the cake-related festivities begin. Delaney sang along with everyone to "Happy Birthday," as she had been practicing doing all day long, then managed to get the two candles blown out on the third try. Pretty darn good for a two year old. She downed two pieces of cake and ice cream and licked the plate clean, then went back to chips and guacamole. Her friends had all brought very nice gifts for her and she was so happy that they had all come to party like wild-things with her.

The next morning Todd and I awoke to mysterious quiet... Looking into the kitchen we spied both kids standing on step-stools licking the cake platter among the pile of unwashed dishes. When I finally got up and fed them some real food I noticed that one of the frosting-covered birthday candles was half-eaten. Now that's a great birthday!