The Big Dog Turns 6

Well, today was my birthday and it was a very special one.

I came down the stairs to find donuts with candles in them and Mom, Dad, Mae and Pax singing to me.

Then I went to school where I got to wear the birthday crown all day. My friends sang and we pretended they were candles and I blew them out and they all fell down.

Mom made me my birthday dinner request - homemade pizza - and then we broke into song once again and ate some cupcakes.

I had a couple gifts to open up, the first of which was a harmonica from my friend Kim and the second was a new swimsuit from Mae, since I'll be starting up my swim lessons again soon.

All in all, it feels good to be six, though I'm on my 10th day with no binky and that is still not feeling so good...

Birthday Month... Continued

So our birthdays, they just never quit. Here we are thinking that our birthdays are done being celebrated when Grandma and Grandpa come to town and keep the festivities going.

The morning started out with a large pile of gifts which, after opened, turned out to be this amazing doll/doghouse - one for Mae and one for me and lots of little things you can set up on the inside.

Then we turned on some tunes and got the place hopping.

So I call this move the downtown zazzer.

Nobody's really quite sure what Mae calls this move.

Grandpa and Mabel Jane spent some quality time together.

Later that night, after dinner, we got out the cupcakes that Grandma had made for our birthday and did some singing and candle blowing.

And the next morning we went to Nana's. Not that Nana, the other one - at 33rd and Halsted, where they make bear pancakes and peanut-butter-chocolate donuts.

And then to cap off the weekend we hit the dog show and spent some time with some furry freaks.

(I mean, seriously?)

And some time with some furry friends.

And some time with some dog who looked like he just finished smoking some reefer at a Bob Marley concert.

Birthday Weeeeeeek

So look, Mae and I milked this birthday thing for everything we had. As you remember, we got our bounce present on Friday, February 3 and had a birthday breakfast the next day.

Then we got all geeked up for my actual birthday and hit up Pequods Pizza for my birthday dinner on Thursday night, February 9, where Mom and I basically took some glamour mother-daughter shots, they were that good.

Got a shot in with Dad, too.

Did I mention Mae is attempting to battle Dad and me for "biggest pizza eater in the family?" Mae, how bout getting some of that pizza IN your mouth.

Then we went out again the night of my actual birthday to Nightwood restaurant in Pilsen and went home and had yet another round of cupcakes.

I'm exhausted... birthday week... aaahhhhhhh.

Oh, and this is completely unrelated but Mae got this really cool lion mask as a birthday gift from her friend, Kim, and somewhere along the way she flipped it upside down and created a homemade Baby Bjorn for her little buddy, Mouse.

Oh, and that's his actual name - Mouse. I told her you can't name a mouse Mouse, it would be like naming a cat "Cat." But she keeps insisting that it is completely rational and the mouse's name is, in fact, Mouse... oh, and in case you were wondering, that is jelly all over her cheeks from a bagel and jelly breakfast thinger she had the other morning. Notice a pattern here with food all over her face? Yes, I bet you do.

Baptized!

So Sunday our little Mabel got baptized and then, more importantly, we had a party at our house where all my cousins and friends came over.

The day started out with Mabel doing her new thing in the Bumpo chair, which is fun because now she can sit up at the table with us when we eat.

(Note: Check out to Mabel's left, on the wall, that is basically the wall that is right next to my seat at the table. Apparently the wall is my canvas and food is my paintbrush)

Then we went up to Mom and Dad's room and Mabel did a little pre-baptism photo shoot. It's kind of like a walk on the red carpet except she can't walk and there was no red carpet, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

Here's Mabel in Mom's Grandpa Henry's baptism gown, which is over 100 years old. During the ceremony, Mabel pulled a fast one on the priest; he went to put the oil on her forehead and she sneezed really hard and blew it all over him. After three and a half months, the little joker in her came out - it was a really sweet move.

Oh, not many pics of me at the post-party because I was all over the place, running around in the park out front, the whole bit. However, this is what "too many cupcakes" looks like, if you're wondering.

Oh, Sweet Mandy B's

On Monday night Eli slept over at my house so on Tuesday Mom took us to the Bounce place where I had my birthday party. Afterwards we were looking for something sweet to eat.

Enter: Sweet Mandy B's on Webster, just west of Racine. This place makes cupcakes and cookies that you'd trade your children for (exaggeration? slightly). So we rolled up in there and got ourselves some elephant cookies.

Wait, Eli, no one can see you.

Okay, now we're all good.
Wait, Eli, now your elephant is upside down.

And what goes great with elephant cookies, you might ask? Some might say a tall glass of milk. I, on the other hand, am going to go with - a dance party.

This cat singing this song might wait til the midnight hour, but I can't wait that long (and I'm usually in bed) so Eli, let's show 'em our dance moves!