Birthday Week 2016!!

Aw yeah, every March it's non-stop par-tay at die Gurkeschloss!

We started out the gate with Miriam's 14th.  Her birthday was on a Saturday this year, which as every kid knows is the golden ticket for birthday celebrations!  We started the day off with a special breakfast and family presents.

Katie made a model of the dream house that she and Miriam designed together.  much paper and scotch tape were required.

I don't know if I've mentioned it on here yet, but Miriam has decided that ice skating is her Thing.  So she had a lesson in the morning, and then hung around for the open skate time.  (She's been taking lessons off and on for a couple years, but for about the last year it's been more consistent.  She can skate backwards really well, and is currently learning fancy stuff like spins and the waltz jump.)

Then that evening we invited several of her bestest friends over for a party.  They played silly games and watched the Kenneth Branagh Cinderella. *swoon*

cue giggling

It was a really fun party -- even Dominic had a great time!

*ripriptearshred*

14 is great.  It involves a certain amount of emotional instability at times, but that's what Daddies are for.

Happy Birthday, Princess

Next up: Joseph turned 8!

He had a simple party -- he just wanted to invite a couple friends over for lunch.  (I think he was still shell-shocked from last year.) :)

He had a good day -- he ate all of his favorite foods (macaroni and cheese was on the menu, of course), tried out his new toys (the friends gave him a mini-catapult!), and spent the rest of the time reading his new book (the first in the Wings of Fire series, courtesy of Katie).

not the Wings of Fire book (it's actually The Wanderings of Odysseus instead!) -- but still, this boy loves to read!

Finally, Mr. Pickles himself hit a big milestone this year!!!

For such a big birthday I gave him permission to purchase a new sound system for the TV.  It's great -- we can hear dialogue now!

So that's it!  Another successful birthday week.  Everyone made it through another year!