Happy Birthday, Mary Jane!

We celebrated Mary Jane's eleventh birthday on August 28, 2012. I can't believe I will be a mother to a teenager in two more years! She was kind of a party-pooper this year and didn't want to do anything but hang out at home. I was secretly hoping she would request going out to eat but, alas, not such luck.

Getting ready to blow out the candles.

I have no idea why she is raising her arms here. To get our attention maybe? This is why you are supposed to blog about it right after the event—you don't forget shit that way.

All the candles were blown out on the first try! I guess she'll get her wish...

Most wished for birthday item: Nintendo 3ds = happy girl!

Ice-cream cake is yummy!

Mary Jane is the oldest and she definitely has some traditional first-born characteristics: high-achiever, reliable, controlling and aggressive. She has a strong sense of what is right and wrong, and keeps tabs on whether or not everyone is getting fair (according to her) treatment. She has a great sense of humor and is wonderfully sarcastic. She loves animals (cheetahs and wolves are her favorites), writing stories, playing World of Warcraft, and play fighting. She and Kaden will still sneak off to her room to pretend play with their ever-growing animal collection (NOT stuffed animals) and, most recently, they love playing "Survivorman." She is smart and beautiful and growing into an all-around lovely young lady.

Here are some more pictures from the party:

Granny

Papa decorated with confetti.

Kaden. Hard to believe, but this was taken before he'd had any sugar.

Eliza thinks birthday parties are the best part of life right now.

I'm including this one because I think her face is hilarious.