Let’s Get This Party Started

As you know, we’re amping up around here for Piper’s birthday. She’s excited, too. She’s had to endure being 4 11/12 (Sissy recently taught her fractions) for much too long. 5 needs to get here already.

But Piper doesn’t wait for something as obvious as a birthday to party. As Mrs. Peterman says, “I am the party!” Last night we were enjoying an evening together with extended family, which means most of us were sitting around on couches chatting and catching up when Piper shouted “I know! Let’s play dance freeze tag!” It’s not that we were bored or in search of an activity, it’s that Piper can’t imagine people not on their feet partying every minute. Who wants to do something boring like talk? Geez. As a Piper is, she was relentless in her party planning.

“Dad, you play the guitar. Play something fast so we can really dance. Then stop. We’ll freeze. If you don’t, you’re out. Come on!” Piper said. Then she dragged us one by one off our comfy spots. We went, reluctantly. We danced. Some of us lost rather quickly just so we could settle back into the couches and resume our chat. Piper won freeze tag, of course. She’s always the last one partying.

“How about musical chairs?” Piper suggested next. “Won’t that be fun?”

“Isn’t that a lot like dance freeze tag except with chairs?” I asked.

“Yes!” Piper shouted, once again insisting we all join her fun. And the music began.

Baby, You’re a Firework

It’s a well-know fact that the Piper loves Paty Kerry. She can’t get enough of that Firework song. “Who sings it again?” we ask.

“Paty Kerry,” Piper says. Giggle. Giggle.

So, in honor of Paty Kerry we took our own little firecracker to the Big Tent today to get some celebratory gun powder. We blew our $10 budget way out of the water when Piper saw this:

It was her fake birthday after all. After the rainbow sparklers, rainbow smoke bombs, and rainbow frog that shot rainbow sparks, we walked down to the pond’s edge for the air trooper finale. We were promised a rainbow parachute on our little army guy. He went boom and then parachuted down the hill into the woods. Piper wanted to chase him, of course, but the bushes were taller than her. Grandpa had no choice. “Kids,” he said, addressing the assembly of grandchildren, “we’re going to need the four-wheeler.” The pack trudged off to the shed for the necessary equipment. Then, they rescued our air trooper.

“Did you like the fireworks?” I asked Piper, after she came up the hill. I was hiding on the front porch. It’s best if Mommy doesn’t watch you ride a four-wheeler packed with grandchildren down a hill into the woods. I know my place. Out of sight.

“It was the best fake birthday I’ve ever had,” Piper said.

“What was your favorite part? The smoke bombs? The sparklers? I know. It was the parachute guy?”

“Nope. The four wheeler ride!” Of course.

Happy Fake Birthday to You

We celebrated Piper’s fake birthday today. What’s a fake birthday? It happens when you’re halfway across the country with family that you won’t see on your real birthday so we throw a fake birthday party. There’s cake and candles and presents.

We pretend well. Piper told every single person we saw today that it was her fake birthday. Checkout clerks were impressed. Strangers on the street wished her a happy day. Our waitress would have sang if we hadn’t stopped her.

The best part of your fake birthday is our real birthday tradition, which we borrowed from Uncle Pete’s family. On your birthday (in addition to the breakfast in bed), we also give you a dollar and tell you our favorite thing about you.

So, Happy Fake Birthday, P. Here goes:

What’s your favorite thing about Piper?

Mike and Ike

To beat the heat, we took the girls to a movie matinee today. Piper asked for a box of Mike and Ike candy, too.

Mike & Ike - original flavors - 6 oz theater box

We said yes. We know how to party. Piper reached inside and started tasting the chewy goodness. “Mmm…this one is strawberry. Yummy. I think this is lemon. I love lemon. And this one,” she said, holding up a lime green candy, “is zucchini.”

Mike & Ike Oriignal Fruits