Arden's Ninth Birthday!

Arden turned NINE years old last week.  Every year on her birthday I take a picture of her with her bunny, and boy howdy that girl is either getting big, or that bunny is getting small!  I remember when she was smaller than the bunny! (**sniff, sniff**)

 Supermodel:

 Her birthday was on a Monday this year, so we didn't have her "friends party" until the Friday following.  On her actual birthday, she got to go out to dinner with family (she chose Chili's for a change, which was ok with me.  Somehow I didn't take any pictures, which is not so okay with me, but I have no one to blame but myself).  She of course got a birthday cake on the big day too.  Too bad she accidentally smushed the writing on the cake with her bunny while she was putting in the candle.  Oh well, it still tasted good!

Somewhere along the line, I started letting my kids have birthday parties with all their friends every year, and now I am not sure how to make it stop.  They are so excited for it, and start planning what they want to do weeks and months in advance.  So, I just keep going.  And going.  I knew I didn't want all of the parties at my house though, because I am lazy like that.  I did some digging.  

Arden LOVES crafts, and I found out you can have a birthday party at Michaels Craft Store.  They have a party room, and for $50 they will: rent you the room, decorate it, set up the craft, give you invitations, thank you notes, treat bags, have a person there to direct the crafting, AND (best part) clean everything UP!  Arden chose to decorate a jewelry box for her craft, so all we had to do was pay for the wooden boxes, and Michaels threw in the paint, brushes, mod podge, scrapbook paper, glue-on jewels etc. for free too!  Score!  All I had to do was bring snacks.  Arden was over the moon, and counted down the days until her party on her little calendar until the big day finally came.

Here is Arden, almost ready to start painting her box:

 I wasn't sure Dax would be into it, but he was really excited to come along and make a box too.  His box is of course NOT a jewelry box, it is a pencil box.  There is a pencil machine at the elementary school, and every time Dax has a spare quarter, he can't help but buy a pencil at recess.  He is getting quite a collection built up, so I guess it is good he has a box now.  He decorated it with green, red and blue paint, and put dinosaur stickers on it.  Very manly.

 Here is the whole crew, painting away!

Here are most of the girls (and my boy, the thorn amongst the roses!), with their beautiful finished boxes!  Cora made one too of course.  They painted the sides, mod-podged some scrapbook paper on the top, and then covered them with stickers and glue-on jewels.  I hope they had fun.

 After everyone was done with their boxes, it was cupcake time!  Here is Arden making a wish:

Here are some things about 9-year-old Arden:

Favorite color:  Still red!
Favorite TV show:  Jessie, or Austin & Ally from the Disney Channel
Favorite thing to do:  Play with friends!
Favorite songs:  "Lips are Movin" by Meghan Trainor.  She also likes Taylor Swift (and says she likes One Direction, but I think that is just because one of her friends' older sisters likes them and so she thinks they must be cool.  I think she can only name one or two songs from them).
Favorite food:  Salmon or Pizza or Tacos or Coconut Curry (her tastes are expanding!)
Favorite dessert:  Cake, or York Peppermint Patties
Favorite activities:  Crafts, or tumbling (she can do 3-4 back hand springs in a row, and is pretty close to doing a "whip!")
Favorite things at school:  Art and reading
Least favorite thing at school:  Math :(
Other things she doesn't like:  Cleaning her room (her room is usually the messiest of all the kids), cleaning up after the dog in the backyard (can't blame her for that one), and eating breakfast.  I have to beg her each morning to pleeeease eat something!

She has her little quirks, but she is pretty dang awesome, if I do say so myself.  Happy Birthday Arden!!!