Birthday Blue

I told Aubree she could have a friend birthday party this year; a last hurrah with her good friends before we move.  "Or," I offered, "I can give you some other options."  "Yeah!" she enthused, "give me some options."  

I thought for a minute, "we could go to Disney."

- "Yes! Disney! Can I wear a button that says, 'Happy Birthday!?!'"

"Or we could go camping..."

- "Oh! Camping! Yes! I want to go camping!!"

That got the wheels in my brain turning.  Maybe, just maybe we could go camping AND to Disney.  By checking frequently, I was able to snag a campsite at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort.  Apparently that's Disney's most popular (and reasonably priced) resort, so it fills up quickly.

 Friday afternoon we met up with friends and set up camp.  

 For dinner, we experimented with our new camping toys - pie irons.  We made pizzas, grilled cheese sandwiches, and mini-pies.  The results were so-so. I think they'll work better over a wood fire rather than a charcoal grill, but they do provide a nice alternative to the standard camping hot-dogs.

It wouldn't count as camping without playing in the dirt

After dinner we cleaned up and set out for the next adventure - a Disney sing-a-long, campfire with Chip & Dale, and Disney movie (Aristocats) under the stars.  Getting to the campfire location required a short bus ride, which the kids all loved.

 Not surprisingly, Aubree was captivated by the movie (she'd never seen it before).  Bryce slept off and on (the movie didn't even begin until 8:40 pm, WAY after their typical bedtime) and Thane cried off and on.  By the time we all got back to the tent everyone was exhausted.  Ultimately, I think Aubree was the only one who slept well. 

The next morning we had a great breakfast thanks to the Dokos family and while the kids played, we spent hours cleaning up what we'd spent hours setting up the day before.  Still, the kids had a fabulous time and it was exactly what Aubree wanted.

*Note to self - camping for just one day just isn't quite worth all the work.  Two days is a requirement!

Once everything was finally packed in the car, we headed out to Magic Kingdom for Part 2 of the great birthday celebration.  Aubree got her precious "Happy Birthday" button and loved having all the Disney employees stop to tell her "Happy Birthday."  She also enjoyed getting to choose the itinerary for the day.  Since we'd been to Magic Kingdom numerous times previously, we didn't feel overly concerned about hitting everything and Aubree got to choose her favorites.  

By late afternoon, we were all dragging so we left Disney for our final birthday destination - Sweet Tomatoes restaurant.  If you ask Aubree, that was her favorite part of the whole day (go figure). 

Aubree's birthday gift - a long desired camera

And now, my Aubree is five.  FIVE!  Perhaps because "five" carries connotations of starting school, but it feels old to me and I can sense a change in Aubree.  She reacts to difficulties more calmly, is more aware of circumstances and individuals around her, is more sure of her own preferences and capacities, and is turning into a remarkable young lady.  I recognize I'm biased and I am certainly aware of Aubree's weaknesses and faults, but overall - WOW - what an amazing girl!  Aubree is truly a joy to be around, and she is helpful and kind and bright and funny and on and on.  It's humbling to admit, but she keeps me on track. 

* On Tuesday I got a phone call from a Realtor who wanted to show our home, "I'm sorry," she explained, "I didn't realize the home was occupied, can I come right now?"  Uhhhhhh.... "Can you give me ten minutes?" I begged.  
With 3 kids, getting a house in show-ready state in 10 minutes?  Definitely a stretch.  "Aubree!" I cried, "I need your help!"  She jumped into action and independently cleaned Bryce's room (she even made his bed) and the living room, which gave me just enough time to get the rest of the house organized.  I couldn't have done it without her.

* Last week I had a parent-teacher conference with Aubree's preschool teacher.  Her teacher's first words were, "I have ZERO concerns about Aubree.  She's way ahead of the pack."  Miss Robin especially praised Aubree's drawings.  "They're so detailed, you can clearly tell exactly what she's trying to draw."  Aubree didn't get her artistic abilities from me - I think they skipped a generation. 

* Want to know Aubree's current fascination?  Homophones.  For the last month or so, conversations like this are extremely common:

"Mom! 'do' is a homophone! You know, like 'the library books are due' and 'do you have a toy?'"

Yesterday morning she woke up and the first words out of her mouth were, "Cheap is a homophone! Like 'doesn't cost very much' and a bird says 'cheep, cheep'."

* Here's another recent fascination: One week in home-school we were learning about China.  Aubree happened to notice the tag of one of her toys said "made in China."  So she and Dad went on a "China hunt" all around the house to see what else they could find that was made in China.  As you might anticipate, it was a very fruitful hunt.  A month later, Aubree still checks the tags of everything to see where they're made and always gets the most excited when the item is made in China.  Occasionally when I'm in another room I'll hear a heart-stopping screech, and in the split second that it takes to catch my breath, I'll hear Aubree squeal, "My quilt is MADE IN CHINA!" (Even Bryce has gotten into this "game" and enthusiastically announces, "these crackers were made in CHINA!" or "Thane was made in CHINA!")