Megan's Cake Decorating Party

Last week we celebrated Megan's 5th birthday with a party!

This year's cake was cheesecake cake with strawberry filling, chocolate cake with peanut butter filling, and vanilla bean cake.

Instead of doing the backyard party where everyone complains about the heat, we rented an air conditioned hall . . . and then it was a measly, comfortable 72 degrees outside.

Oh well.

My mom made Megan this apron in preparation for some serious cake decorating.

Cute, huh?

Then each kid got their own apron, chef's hat, and a little cake to decorate.

Megan took this task extremely seriously.

Cake decorating is no joke, after all.

And now for the completed cakes . . .

I think I did my yearly duty of sugaring up all of our friends before sending them home with their decorated cake.

And no birthday party photo montage is complete without a photo of the kids and Nana.

There you have it folks.

Happy 5th Birthday, Megan!

Happy Birthday, Chris!

This is my father-in-law, Chris. (holding Brendan at Easter)

Chris's birthday is today.

He called earlier today and I forgot to wish him a happy birthday.

Oops.

Black mark #1.

His birthday card is still on John's desk.

Black mark #2.

Wow, it has not been a good day in the daughter-in-law department.

As I was pleading my case with him, insisting I'm not the worst daughter-in-law in the world, I pleaded that there must be something good I've done that would erase those pesky black marks.

We were able to come up with one. (I cooked him food when his wife was sick.)

Now I'm still left with one stinkin' black mark next to my name.

I've had some time to think about it and I've come up with quite a few more nice things I've done.

#1 - I married John. (Admittedly, that may not rise to the level of erasing black marks but I'm including it here anyway.)

#2 - I helped to expand the Keller clan by two members, not including myself. (Now, that's remarkable and should at least erase half a black mark.)

#3 - There is no #3. I just threw that in to make this list look longer.

Alright, Chris. I owe you half a black mark.

How's this . . .

You are the kind of man that produces a son any girl would be lucky to marry. (I really mean that.)

You never miss a birthday, anniversary, or any other important day in our lives.

You are always here for us when we need you.

I really think you are pretty cool.

Cool enough, even, to forgive half a black mark just because of #4.

#4 - I did a whole blog post just to say . . . Happy Birthday, Chris!!!!!!!!

Sniff, sniff

Last week I took Megan to her very last day of preschool.

She got ALL "stars" on her report card.

She didn't spend a single moment in the "thinking chair" but did tell us some stories *with eyes wide* about some other kids that were not as successful in avoiding the dreaded chair. She's a little rule follower and I love that about her.

I peaked through the window at her last moments of preschool and cried.
I really can't believe she is going to Kindergarten next year.
I'm getting a lump in my throat just typing that.

Mrs. Zimmer, Megan's preschool teacher

Megan made a new best friend this year, Tess. At first, Megan insisted her name was Tesk (as in, rhymes with "desk.") When I tried to correct her, she insisted she knew how to pronounce it. At some point during the year, she figured out it was just Tess . . . no "k." Sniff, sniff. Pout. Hearing her say Tesk was so stinkin' cute.

Mrs. Jurden, teaching assistant

Colin, Zach, Jakub, and Megan

While these characters were busy trying to stay out of the thinking chair, their mommies and I were hanging out every Monday at the coffee shop. This is the same coffee shop where Brendan discovered his hand was small enough to stick inside the candy machine. He kept coming to me with handfuls of chocolate covered raisins, which I assumed were divinely sent. Then I realized it was larceny . . . but I digress.

So long preschool. So long thinking chair. So long coffee shop. So long chocolate covered raisins. Sniff, sniff.