Jill is Six!

Our Jilly Bean turned six last weekend!  It's amazing how much she has changed in the past year.  She is one of the best readers in her class, an avid jump roper, and a social magnet.  And although she still like lots of snuggles and cuddles, she is becoming more independent every day.  The other day she asked Chris and I why we get to make all the decisions and she just has to do the things that we want.  It was a fair question.  I told her I'd get back to her on that one.

Our growing girl had her birthday party a week before her real birthday.  Somehow, she convinced me to let her invite six of her friends over to the house to decorate cupcakes and cookie cakes.  Thankfully, she decided she wanted it to be rainbow-themed, which was extremely convenient since all the party stores were stocked up on pride parade decorations.

The whole house was decorated in rainbow colors.

Rainbow tablecloth.  Rainbow aprons.  Rainbow cups and plates.  Even the frosting choices were in every color of the rainbow (plus a few extra).

There were even rainbow snacks.

And of course a rainbow (cookie) cake.

Jill added her own decorative rainbow flair as well.

Our birthday girl is ready to party!

Jill and her gal pals.

(From left to right: Paloma, Rosie, Kit, Evelyn, Jill, Hannah, and Gwendolyn.)

Before food art, there was actual art.

And then it was time to decorate the cupcakes!

I think she liked that part.

After that, we decorated the extra cookie cake that I bought (because you can never have too many cookie cakes).

Who needs a yearbook when you have a cookie cake!

Blowing out her candle.

Opening her presents.

Playing with her presents (although I'm not sure that's what you're supposed to do with a Chinese jump rope).

Each girl got to take home a special rainbow gift bag and her self-decorated cupcake.

Take a bow, birthday girl!

As usual, Jill's actual birthday was on Memorial Day weekend.  So we got to celebrate a second time at with friends and family at Oma and Opa's house.

The May birthdays.

She got some good stuff, including a new jump rope and some stuffies.

She was pretty pumped about the jumprope.

Wish we would have had this at her rainbow party!

She also got an easy bake oven, which we tried out soon thereafter.  

The first batch of brownies was ok.  The second batch was burned to a crisp.

But that was no problem -- we had an ice cream cake as back-up.

Quick!  Blow before it melts!

She reeeally liked it.

Cousin love.

The celebration continued at the lake, where the kids got to climb trees, catch frogs, hunt for turtles, play in treehouses, swing from branches, hike through the woods...and pee outside.  What could be better?

I think it's safe to say she had a good birthday.  We love you dearly, sweet girl!