Day 1: The Actual Birthday, Thursday, September 27
Let's actually start at Day 0. As luck would have it, I had to travel to Cincinnati for work on Tuesday and Wednesday. Great timing. Nothing like being out town before guests arrive and when you have a party to plan. It does make for a good excuse to take time off work, though. I took the afternoon off to put a couple of finishing touches on the house and be there when the Bileks arrived around 3pm. We hadn't eaten yet, so we went to Red Robin for some linner (lunch and dinner, come on people).
Lauren wasn't so excited about the food, but did have fun with my bracelet and jump drive. Really, actual toys are overrated.
Lauren gave me a little present in the car seat on the way home, resulting in an early bath. Lauren opened a few presents from the Bileks and the Turnipseeds, and then she was off to bed. After a few drinks with the Bileks, we were all pretty much done. Kind of anti-climactic for the actual birthday.
Day 2: The Prep Day
Now the work really started. I did all the grocery shopping, made the food, and began my journey to create a hand-decorated monkey cake for Lauren. Remember, the kid really likes monkeys. Chris and his dad worked on filling in our patio. After we were all ready for a break, we went for a nice family dinner at Buca. Again, Lauren was nice enough to give me another present at the restaurant. Let's just say there's nothing like changing a yucky diaper in a restroom with 15 ten-year-old girls running around playing hide and seek/peek-a-boo in the restroom stalls. Joy. We came back home, made more food and crashed.
Day 3: The Party
There were really 4 important parts of the day.
The Cake
Thank god for the internet! I found a picture of a monkey cake online, complete with suggestions for how to make it. And I didn't completely mess it up. I guess all those years of helping my mom decorate cakes actually sunk in. Now, I didn't actually eat any of the cake. The gallon of buttercream icing that I ingested while decorating it pretty much filled me up.
The Birthday Girl
Apparently she feels pretty in a dress and a flower headband. I thought for sure that headband would be trashed before anyone actually arrived. Lauren did sample it, but I think she liked wearing it better than eating it.
The Birthday Girl and the Cake
Enough said. Except for one minor detail. We narrowly averted some serious burns due to Lauren's fascination with fire. Her fingers did go in the flame, but we managed to rescue them without too many tears. It's a wonder what cake can do to dry up tears.
The Presents
Everyone was way too generous. Our house looked like Christmas morning with all the toys and wrapping paper around.
We spent the rest of the afternoon playing with her new toys, and then watched the Buckeyes beat Minnesota. Sorry, Bileks!
Day 4: The Golf Outing
A visit with the Bileks wouldn't be complete without a round of golf for the men to finish out the weekend. Luckily I got to hang around the house with Mom Bilek for a more relaxing day, which was much needed after all the festivities. I hear the golfing was a little scary, but the weather was beautiful.
So, we're back to our normal lives. Although I'm writing this while I'm sitting in the airport waiting to fly to Houston. So, I guess it's not so normal after all. It was great to see all our family and friends there to share in Lauren's special day(s). Only 3 months until we go to Minnesota for Christmas!
UPDATE: More pictures in the Kodak Gallery!
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