Just the D's!: Happy Happy Birthday Birthday

We just celebrated Ruthie's 6th and Bennett's 9th birthdays. Ruthie turned 6 and we spent 2 weeks having a 6, 7, and 8 year old! Those are always my favorite weeks for strangers to ask their ages. :) It freaks people out. I love freaking people out. Then, Bennett turned 9 and it wasn't so much fun to explain ages.

Ruth has asked for a booster seat last year. Easy enough, since it's necessity! This year she had a doll in mind. She said she wanted either a Build-a-Bear (like Lydia's), American Girl, or Cabbage Patch doll. Curtis and I both concurred that we are beyond the stuffed animal stage... or at least would very much LIKE to be beyond that stage! So, we researched the American Girl options. Those things are $100 a piece. Whoever heard of a $100 doll? Crazy people out there buy those things... crazy!

Sounds like us? Whatever! :) We've seen American Girl before. My sister's girls all have one. My brother's girls both have one. Or at least that's the rumor around our house. We've watched a few movies too. Molly - about the dad who was off at war. Kit - who survived the depression. Well, Kit has a best friend. Her name is Ruthie. Perfect?!?!! We told Ruthie she could have an American Girl doll... but we drove to the mall first without saying a word. She can't exactly read road signs and when Bennett and Maggie had it figured out they were just as excited about getting there as we were. When we showed her where we were going her face erupted into pure smiles. We let her go into the store and peruse the different characters.

She (we) had talked about the Ruthie doll but we all wanted her to look around at all of them before deciding. So, we met up with Grandma and Grandpa for the shopping adventure. The other 3 kids did so well with helping her decide without being grumpy that it wasn't about them. They all wanted to show me what they would want IF it were their birthday, but none of them whined or complained at all. Yeah! My preaching on the way down worked! She picked out her Ruthie then had to get an outfit (PJs) from Grandma so she could have something else to wear. She's actually taken good care of her so far. Whew!

Her birthday dinner desire was IHOP. Cheap - if the kids pick a kid's meal and you go after 4pm. We were there at 2pm and they all wanted LOTS of food. Our waiter was very sweet. In fact, I believe several of the waiters were very sweet... but we weren't in rural north Georgia either. He quieted the entire restaurant to announce her birthday and then had the whole place and all the wait staff sing happy birthday to her. She was so embarrassed. Cute! Cute! Cute!

I'll have to get pictures from Grandma's camera one day.

As for Bennett's birthday... that was our fall break trip to Chattanooga (see previous post). We celebrated Monday morning by spanking his little behiney 9 times... each of us. :) He just giggles. At the end of our day, before heading south for home, we found the Grand Opening of Chattanooga Cupcakes and went in for birthday cake. He picked out the chocolate cake, chocolate icing with chocolate ganache inside. The girls picked a sprinkles topped one. I chose Key Lime (YUM) and Curtis picked a different chocolate flavored option. We made a big deal and sang happy birthday to him in front of everyone, which he LOVED!

He ate his entire cupcake. Ruth decided she didn't like the sprinkles but my Key Lime was tastier. Of course, I shared! Maggie and Lydia finished off the other. Then we headed home... and slept. :)