Double Digits

So my baby girl is 10. Over the weekend, we had fun celebrating her first decade of life. We furiously cleaned our house, which has been pretty much sadly neglected this summer. And I'm glad to know that Lucy's birthday is just a couple weeks away, so when we clean like maniacs for her party the task won't be nearly as foreboding. We need to have at least one good size party a month, to keep us on our toes. But I digress...

Bethany had a friend party on Saturday night. Ten kids came over and seven spent the night. I made this funfetti cake, per the birthday girl's request, except I made it from scratch just because I enjoy extra work like that, and then I decorated it with Skittles. I love the neon food color gels, and I think the Skittles (they're the ones in the orange bag) look good with the green. It was a damp, chilly day, but that didn't stop the kids from swimming and hot tubbing and cavorting like the sugar-hyped, crazed pre-teens that they are.

I love Bethany's friends. They like being at our house and I hope that never changes. I like that once in awhile one of them will just come and sit and chat with me, and maybe even put her head on my shoulder or give me a hug. I don't mind when I'm doing laundry and find an occasional stray t-shirt or pair of jeans that don't belong to anyone in my family. I don't mind making a little extra when I'm cooking a meal.


The girls were loud and stayed up late (of course), although Bethany and Lucy were the first to fall asleep. I actually have no idea how on earth they managed to sleep through that ruckus! The lights on, a movie playing, and lots of giggling and squealing, yet my daughters just obliviously kept on sleeping.


After everyone went home Sunday, we re-commenced with the cleaning because we masochists are always compelled to host at least two parties for each child's birthday. We had grandparents over for dinner, nothing major. Yet we somehow seemed to make a bigger mess with the dinner party than we did with all the kids over.


It was a good birthday weekend for Bethany. I hope ten treats her well.


How to you celebrate birthdays in your family? Do you often end up hosting more than one party as well?