elizabeth_mn

The Girl had her 6th b-day on Monday, which also happened to be Labor Day. That combined with school starting soon meant we decided not to throw a party, and instead we just took her on a fun outing and had her favorite dinner and cake at home.

We left early to go to Como Town, the little amusement park next to the free city zoo and conservatory. We went on rides, ate mini donuts, and went over to the zoo to see the Sparky the Sea Lion show.

I let her drive the bumper car. Mostly.

After that we headed to the picnic shelter and ate a picnic lunch we brought, then we spent some time at the water park area. I didn't realize they had this or I would have brought her swimsuit! But it was a warm day and she was fine in her clothes.

We stayed until around 2:30 then went home to change. At home, I had organized a birthday gift treasure hunt. I hid the gifts and wrote a clue on each one so she could find the next gift. I think I had even more fun setting this up than she did solving and finding!

This is a little science/archaeologist kit she got:

And a totally random picture my HB took of us playing with her new magnetic poetry set on the fridge.

She got a big new block set and we built a bunch of stuff.

She asked for homemade pizza for dinner (and FYI, I totally cheat and use Angelic Bakehouse Flatzza crusts. Yum.) and cheesecake for her birthday cake. My favorite recipe is Nigella Lawson's "London Cheesecake," but I double the quantities for the layer of sour cream topping. My HB and I opened a bottle of Prosecco and toasted F for being the birthday girl, and we toasted each other for being her parents. Both of us got a little misty.

Six candles!

After cake, I asked her to go outside on the back porch with me for selfies in the evening light. I wanted a picture of the two of us together, mommy and daughter.

I just love my little girl so much.

It was a really good day. No meltdowns, not even much friction. And it's been SIX YEARS. I still can't understand how that is possible.

Her birthday was our last hurrah of summer. The first day of kindergarten is tomorrow. We have been so busy with plans and supplies and practicing walking and lunches that I have hardly had time to feel weepy. That'll probably change tomorrow morning when I return to my empty house!

I feel such enormous gratitude for being able to be a stay-at-home-mom these past six years. It has been both horrible and amazing, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. It has been the most wonderful chapter of my life. But now it has to end, so the next one can start. I think it's going to be a good one. Wish us luck.