The day of

Hope's birthday party was the day before her actual birthday, so we got to extend the fun a little bit! She woke up singing 'happy birthday' and reliving the fun she'd had at her party, which segued into her being sung to by Mommy, Daddy, Grandmom, and Grandad. Then she opened more gifts.

Her main gift from us was a tricycle. She's really excited about it, but is going to have to grow into it a little bit. Unfortunately, it's rained almost every day since then so she hasn't gotten to use it much. She keeps asking, "Where my bicycle?" and I try to explain that it's in the shed, waiting for a day when it's not raining.


So after experimenting with the tricycle a bit, we took Grandmom and Grandad up to a local landmark - an indoor marketplace with lots of fresh fish and various other food. Hope was cooperative, and enjoyed riding Daddy's 'neigh-neigh' and looking at the lobster tanks.


After her nap, she opened her gifts from Grandmom and Grandad. It included lots of paint and art supplies, which Hope wanted to try out right away. Not ones to disappoint, we all donned our smocks and took her outside to paint. It was a big mess, but she loved it!


Once we got cleaned up, we all went over to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner. Again, it was the six people who love her the most all surrounding her and enjoying her antics. She got this awesome wagon from Grandma and Grandpa and could hardly wait until dinner was finished to go outside and play with it. Hope asked Grandpa to take her out, and he said he would take her when he finished his coffee, and that he only had a little bit left. She cracked Daddy up when she said, "Hope see it." She wanted to ~verify~ that he'd be finished soon!

In this pic, they'd just retrieved the mail and were bringing it back up the driveway for Grandma. Hope says these are her "movie 'tar glasses" - upside down or otherwise.


Hope was a bit fascinated and a bit freaked out by the toad that has been living on Grandma and Grandpa's deck. When it was in the planter she'd go over and look at it, but when Grandpa picked it up to show her, this is as close as she'd get. She was NOT interested in touching it, not even a little.


Of course, no real birthday would be complete without more candles and more singing. Grandma had pineapple coconut ice cream, which Hope tried quite willingly. We dragged her birthday out, and she enjoyed it the whole way!