FIFTH Birthday Play-by-Play

Here's my annual birthday play-by-play, my attempt to capture that wonderfully special moment in time, the day when we celebrate our girls' birthday.  Following this day, I usually take a camera detox for a couple of days, as it doesn't leave my side on birthday-day.  Even just a week now removed, I love to look back at exactly how we spent our time.

This post actually starts on Saturday night, January 4th.  We were expecting some pretty nasty winter weather on the girls' birthday, January 5th, so we began our celebration a bit early, with a very special dinner at Yuki.

Saturday afternoon I was out and about, running a bit late heading back home.  I called to let Hubby know I was on my way, and I asked to speak with the girls.  What a moment it was for me when I told them to go upstairs and get dressed.  I told them they could have their choice of two sweaters and a turtleneck, to be paired with sweater leggings and boots.  I was so proud to see they had followed my directions exactly when I got home!

The trip to Yuki (our favorite sushi place) was a special one.  The girls had been asking to go there for a long time, and they were so excited!  

They tried ika karage for the first time...and loved it...and they ate their edamame without me "opening" it for them.  For supper I ordered them each a plate of teriyaki shrimp (as opposed to them splitting a dish, as always before), and they devoured it all!

They were tickled (and we were touched) when our server brought two bowls of green tea ice cream.  The girls were on Cloud 9!

The girls hit the bed hard Saturday night, and they were so excited when they got up on Sunday.  "Mommy!  It's my birthday!  I'm FIVE!"  And all day long I got to hear my precious babies wish each other "Happy Birthday, Sissy!"

Here are my famous first-thing-in-the-morning pictures.  Baby B was obliging...

...but Baby A, not so much.  I can't say I blame her, though!

When the girls came downstairs, they did allow me my early-morning-birthday-snuggles picture...and how sweet it is!

I gave them the cards from Aunt GG they'd received in the mail on Saturday...

...and they opened the packages from Aunt Alison...new games!!!

They opened a couple of new books and some pattern cards from Mommy and Daddy, too, and they played with those while Mommy made breakfast.

The girls requested French toast with homemade blueberry syrup.  They loved it!  (And these messy pictures reminded me of what they used to look like eating blueberries, when they were about two!)

Much of the rest of the morning was spent playing our new games.  The girls really love the "Trouble" game.  I thought it would be over their heads, but they proved me wrong.  And to add icing to the cake, Hubby had a similar game when he was growing up, so he's had a great time playing, as well.

The girls got dressed in their new shirts, and before lunch they wanted to work some more on their woven potholders.

Not long after we sat down to an "appetizer" lunch...something a little fun and different...and Aunt S and Aunt K stopped by.  We didn't mind the sweet interruption, though!  Aunt S made them the most amazing shoulder bags for their birthday.  The girls showed off some of their new spoils, and we ended the visit with shooting some hoops in the basement.

After lunch, the girls put together these adorable craft kits.

And then they indulged me in a few more birthday pictures.  Here's one of my favorites, where they were both laughing.

The girls were playing so well, they didn't realize they had one more present to open.  Late in the afternoon, I told them I had something else for them.  Their eyes lit up with surprise.  I cautioned them that the gift was fragile, and had them sit on the couch side by side.

Baby A got hers open first...

...and Baby B joined her shortly thereafter.

I got the girls keyboards for their iPads, and I downloaded a number of new learning apps for them.  They were SO happy!

Before supper, we posed for a few more pictures...

And then we enjoyed our traditional birthday supper -- baked shrimp scampi with mushrooms.  It's a good thing that's what I had planned, as A asked me earlier in the day, "You have to make that shrimp and mushroom thingy, Mommy!"

After supper we read a couple of our new books while dessert finished baking.

And at last, the girls got to blow out their birthday candles...first Baby A...

...followed approximately two minutes later by Baby B...

The happiest of birthdays to my precious baby girls!  I love to see you grow and change...but it's hard to believe you're FIVE!