Birthday kids and the Gift gone wrong

Well, another teenager joined the crew. Christian is now thirteen. Cousin Jennie made him a waterslide cake.


All he really wanted for his birthday was a cell phone. I think I had him thoroughly convinced that I was NOT getting him one....but I did.


We had a campfire.



Here's the story about the next photo: My dad is fabulously great. He is so fun and the kids have so much fun with him. Well, the week before Christian's birthday, we were sitting in church, and Dad leaned leaned out across the pew and told Christian, "Um, I went a little over budget on your gift. You see, I budgeted $2.00 for it, but with the tax, I went over...So I was wondering if you could re-imburse me for the tax." Well, of course we all rolled with laughter and it started a string of events. You can see here - Christian holding up dad's gift with a "12cents due" sign on it! Then, a couple days later, my aunt called my mom and said, "If we go over the price limit on our family exchange gifts, can we just put a bill in the gifts for the amount due?" Oh goodness, we have had fun with that (just like we do just about everything my dad says!) My boys are musicians, and one time a bunch of years ago, my dad told Mitchell, "Did you know when I was younger I had a band?" Mitchell's eyes widened and he sat up straighter and said, "Really! What did you play?" "Nothing," my dad said, "It was a gumband." That joke has been re-told and laughed over so many hundreds of times it really shouldn't be funny anymore, yet as I sit here typing it, it makes me laugh. Oh, how I love my daddy.




Then...Little Miss Fai-Fu turned the big 5.

Of course, Jennie made this lovely cake. "Chocolate, with pink flowers," was the request.


Doesn't she look gorgeous!






My Gam got Faith a Beauty and the Beast dress up set.
She loved it! Little pink heels to click-clack around the house in, and a long Belle wig.


Faith wanted to go the the local pizza shop to continue her party. So we did...



Now...the part about the birthday gift gone wrong.
Oh dear...so remember I said Gam got Faith Beauty and Beast dress up clothes. Well, Faith changed into them and was excited to (as she put it) look like a princess.
You know I can't quite put my finger on it, but it just didn't quite turn out like a princess. She looked strangely reminiscent of...well, Ummm.....Tina Turner???? Oh, my....