Lulu's #4, x 3

Last Sunday was Lulu's birthday-plus-11-days so we invited 40 people to come play with us at the park to celebrate.

Last Sunday was the hottest day of the year so far. It was like late July, it was so hot. I believe they said it was 94º and felt like 102º.

Everybody over 8 commented on the heat. Nobody under 8 minded enough not to want to play with all their friends.

We had watermelon and juice and water and ice and temporary tattoos and balloons and bubbles and noise-makers and cupcakes. It was a blast.

We had nearly 3 dozen balloons because we were expecting so many people and I wanted each kid to be able to take one. I say nearly 3 dozen because Pete and I lost one putting them into the car (it just floated away) and then one popped when I turned the car on the the air conditioner blew on it and one just deflated slowly through the party. There were still more than enough, though. The problem was getting them from the party store to the park. Pete and I were squeezed in my little Accord with no extra room. She looked right and I looked left and we just drove carefully and went the route that only required us to turn left at lights. It was kind of fun, but I wouldn't want to do it again. But I got to do it with Pete, which just made it more fun. Good thing I told Nana she would have to ride with HG; we would've had to leave her at the party store!

Lulu had asked for a decorate-your-own-cupcake party. So I made 4 dozen cupcakes, which I also had to figure out how to carry to the park, and we gave each kid one and a glob of icing and sprinkles and little gummy bears and colored marshmallows and they each iced and decorated theirs the way they wanted to. Everyone enjoyed this. Even the kids who don't eat cupcakes!

I was a little nervous before it started because of how many people were coming and how hot it was expected to be and because HG and Poppop were still working on the fence at noon (I appreciate the fence, but it's not like we hadn't had the party planned for weeks...) and not helping me figure out how to carry balloons and cupcakes and whatnot. Also I needed to eat lunch. But in the end it was a great success, and when I asked Lulu if she had a good birthday party she said, "YES!"

(If you click on the photo at the top of this post and look closely at the bubbles flying around Lulu's beautiful blonde hair, you'll see 3D hearts. This was one of Lulu's many really cool presents.)