Birthday Number Eight

The eight birthday party has come and gone. Elise seemed keen, but as the big day approached she confided in me that she wasn’t as excited as she’d been in the past. She said this in a somewhat perplexed manner, and I thought it was an interesting comment. Regardless, she had tons of fun and it turned into a very full weekend.

Her actual birthday was Friday, but we planned the party for Saturday morning since Pam had to work on Friday and thought an after-school celebration would be too hectic. This is how the two-day itinerary panned out:

Friday

7:30 am – Official family present opening, favourite breakfast (French toast)

8:30 am – Lego building

9:00 am – Pick up Tim and Josie and head to Whistler to ski for the day with Dad

12:00 pm – Lunch in the Glacier Creek Lodge: fries, hot chocolate and two-bite brownies

3:00 pm – Marshmallow treat at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Whistler

4:00 pm – Lego building back at home

5:00 pm – Hip-hop dance class

6:30 pm – Indian meal out: garlic naan, vegetable pakora and butter chicken

7:30 pm to 9:00 pm – Lego building

Saturday

8:00 am – Get up, Lego building, get dressed for party

9:00 am – Friends arrive for birthday party, chaos ensues

9:30 am – Pancake breakfast

10:00 am – Crafts

10:30 am – Cake and presents

11:00 am – Climb, jump, dance and rage in the garage

11:30 am – Friends go home, Lego building

1:30 pm – Drive to Levitt Lake, skate all afternoon, bonfire, roast marshmallows

6:30 pm – Drive home in the dark, dinner, Lego building

Opening her presents on Friday morning. She loved all her gifts (thanks everyone!) but she was especially pleased with the Lego Dolphin Cruiser, the present she'd hoped for from Mom and Dad.

Her favourite breakfast, French toast! Wearing the new hat that "Ahnie" knit for her.

Lego work before skiing.

Fooling around in the Horstman Hut with her friend Josie. It was a clear cold day, so we took a couple of indoor breaks to stay warm between runs. While I was taking this picture, some low-life was outside stealing my ski poles form the rack! Luckily the ski patrol lent me a pair so I didn't have to ski the rest of the day pole-less.

A sweet treat from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Whistler after skiing. We save this for special occasions.

In the dress Grandma Bourdon sewed for her, getting ready for her party on Saturday morning.

The pancake portion of the party.

The cake. She asked for a heart, so Pam arranged cupcakes in a heart-type formation.It worked, and was very tasty I must say!

The craft portion of the party. The kids got busy and came up with some interesting ideas. The two boys used the most material, by far!

Amazingly, Tia emerged from hiding to join the party.This after I told the kids "you'll never, ever see her".

Hazel had my vote for the best craft. She made this little blue bird out of plasticine and feathers.

Digging into the cake.

Digging into the presents. All of the kids brought her lovely gifts, including some beautiful presents that were homemade.

Eric Wild made his own wrapping paper complete with complicated artwork. I especially liked the "angler fish" - I had to take a picture.

After the cake and presents the kids requested some garage climbing. In this shot, I told them to all get on the wall. Elise is hanging from the ceiling. It kind of looks like she's levitating!

Things got a little crazy once the music started. Maya is doing a full front flip (!) and Elise is doing her Madonna dance moves to the song "Vogue".

Cooling off with a bit of playground time in the backyard. It was clear but chilly!

After the party finished, we rested and then joined forces with Jen and Eric Wild for some awesome skating at Levitt Lake north of Squamish. Elise was psyched! She really got the hang of skating this winter and loves outdoor ice. She was the first one on the ice and immediately took off. Pam says Elise now skates better than her.

Atwell (right) and Dalton Dome (left) from Levitt Lake. It was a gorgeous day, but this photo hints at how little snow we've got in the mountains this year.

Check out that ice! It was black - clear as glass.

Eric and Jen...

There was a huge fire that burned all afternoon long by the cabins. We enjoyed hanging out, warming up and roasting marshmallows while we socialized with the cabin owners and other skaters.

When I asked Elise how she liked the skating while driving back to Squamish she told me it was the best day of her life! That's a little dramatic, but she really did have a great time. I'd say the two-day birthday weekend was a success this year.