Rocky Turns 7

 If you are  turning 7 the obvious thing to do would be to dress up like a flower princess and bake a pink camouflage cake.    You may not even know that such a thing existed but that would just prove your lack of a cool Grandma who sends inventive cake mixes to her granddaughters.
I see amazing birthday cakes that moms make for their kids on Pinterest all the time.  I have made a few in my day but the thing I have learned is that birthday cakes  take a lot of effort  and mine usually end up looking like they were made by a child.  The obvious solution came to me and now my kids make their own cakes.   They love doing it and I don't have to make up excuses on why they are lopsided.

The obvious exception to the cake making rule is Rosy.  She is no longer allowed to be within 4 feet of any kind of food preparing process.  When I look at her face in this picture I almost feel bad...almost.  I will just say that she worked hard to earn her banishment.  Maybe we will try again in a few months when she turns 3, but for the time being, the outskirts is where she will stay.

 Rocky is a child that came bouncing from the womb and hasn't stopped jumping since  the day she was born.  Lucky for us a jumper's paradise just opened in Eugene. In the hour we were there Rocky was able to do something that up until this point I didn't believe could happen, she was jumped out.
They sprang,  bounced,  and  popped over a giant room full of trampolines.  They flipped and dipped  into the foam pits and in a hilarious moment that I will forever regret not video recording  they played some dodge-ball with their dad.  Due to my condition I had to watch from the sidelines but because I was there just to witness  it was easy to see that my birthday girl was  in heaven.

 We also made a stop at  the Rhododendron  garden for an impromptu photo shoot.

For her birthday she received soccer goals, an apron and cooking supplies, and an  iPod shuffle.  For dinner  she was given the option of any food that she wanted.  I told her I would cook anything or that she could pick any restaurant in Eugene.   She picked Ramen Noodles...the dried ones that you make at home.  At first I wanted to sway her to something else and then I realized  that she had basically picked the easiest and cheapest meal in existence.  Who was I to argue?
There was just enough time for cake and then they headed for bed. 

Rocky is confident and fun.  She is a strong leader and takes care of her sisters as well as all the kids  in our complex.   For her birthday treat she handed out the miraculous invention that combined her two favorite treats, Blowpops.  She likes listening to music, reading, cooking, and playing  soccer.  Her greatest love is listening to and telling stories.  She is enthusiastic and  charming  and I can't imagine my life without my little buddy.