One week later... Debris Birthday!

So, at the end of my last post I said I'd have a post the following Monday... HA HA HA! This annoying little thing called life got in the way of that plan... but that's ok. My baby Debris turned four last week, and we just had a little family celebration here for her. Her birthday was all about her in one way or another, from her very waking moment--slightly before 6 am. A few seconds past HER waking moment, I had mine, when I opened my eyes to her nose approximately 1/2 inch from mine. "Mommy!!" she whispers at the top of her lungs, "It's my birthday today!!! I'm four now!!!"

See, that's one of the things about Debris. She is a morning person. Every morning around here she awakens, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and a whooping and a hollering, throwing open curtains, flipping on lights, yelling "GOOD MORNING!!! IT'S A BEAUTIFUL MORNING OUT!!! YOU NEED TO GET ME FOOD!" I occasionally wonder if somehow she went deaf in the night. For Kiki and me, who are most definitely NOT morning people, this is slightly problematic. We truly cannot decide which is more annoying, the yelling, or the singing of her morning song, which goes something like this... "IT IS MORNING!!!! IT IS SPLENDID!!! IT IS MORNING!!!! IT IS SPLENDID!!!!" over and over and over and over and over and over... ad infinitum... now, all that complaining aside, I greatly admire her for this morning person business, it is truly a gift, and I am quite certain I shall never possess it.

So the morning of her birthday we went to the fire station with a group of moms/kids for a personal tour... the kids actually got to watch a fire man suit up in his gear, and sit in the truck... very cool

And then we came home, and Debris helped me make her birthday cupcakes. I have no idea how she discovered gingerbread cake, but last year, out of nowhere she insisted upon a gingerbread cake, this year it was the same story, so gingerbread cupcakes we(but mostly she) made.

Debris is scarily proficient in the kitchen. I've walked into the kitchen in the morning or after working outside enough times to find the makings of chocolate milk, or cereal, or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all over, that I've actually taught her basic knife and stove safety and usage, simply because I'm terrified that I'm going to wake up at 6 am, and she'll be out there cooking herself breakfast. You think I'm kidding, but I'm actually not. The girl knows how to get things done.

And then, after Daddy came home from work, we went to the girls favorite, Abby's, for birthday pizza.

Where they decided to sit on one side of the table, and Frank and I sat on the other side (almost like a date!!!) and mostly just marveled at these two amazing creatures who've grown up so fast... how in the world did our youngest get to be FOUR?!

And then we came home and opened presents. Of course. Strawberry Shortcake is the new love of the girls.

The dog was NOT impressed... Strawberry Shortcake stinks!

And, ever since that day, I have two little firefighter girls on my hands... with their hats, and their "radios", and their super-cool blinky light thingys that they got.

And, as it was on that day--note the jammies--the cupcakes will be an afterthought. We are not cake people.

Happy Birthday my darling Honey Bee! Love ya!