My 8-year-old

Hadley turned 8 last Friday. It isn't her year to have a friend party so she had a play date with two close friends Friday night. They made sundaes and played. No invitations, no decorations, no piles of cheap-soon-to-be-forgotten toys. Her current BFFs, Kaylee and Alexis came. She got a cool drawing book and some craft projects.

As always, the birthday girl gets to choose the menu for the day, within reason. Hadley picked pancakes, with strawberries and whip cream for breakfast, daddy's spaghetti for lunch (love that thermos), and pancakes with syrup (and spinach to make it healthy!) for dinner.

We celebrated Hadley's birthday as a family on Sunday. Since we don't have have family in town, we invited our Saginaw family (aka our Bible study). Again, we made sundaes with Hadley's favorite flavor: neopolitan. Then we watched Hadley open gifts. Her sister gave her a Furr-Real Pet bird (a stuffed bird that chirps and flaps). We gave her roller skates, a pair of shoes and a swimsuit. Beau and Teagan brought a mini-stamper and lip gloss! Grandma and Grandpa Wells bought an adorable dress that she wore to school on her birthday and the other Grandma and Grandpa gave her money to buy a dress for her doll at the American Girl store in Chicago (where she went on a father/daughter trip at the beginning of the month and I yet to write about...).

All those great gifts, and as usual, it was Tom who won the prize for most memorable gift. Tom is more into creating memories and fun than into picking a gift off a list of desires. Somehow, he had teased Hadley enough that she thought he was giving her a tarantula (which intrigued and terrified her). The rest of us played along, since Hadley clearly enjoyed guessing what was in daddy's box.

"Well, Daddy wouldn't give you something that would hurt you, so if it is a spider, it must be tame."

"Maybe it's a bunch of little spiders..."

Hadley was bursting by the time present-opening began. She wanted to open daddy's gift first. I videotaped this gift opening. None of us noticed Tom during the process, but watch him fidgeting in the background. Click here to see the video of what ensued.

Thanks to our friends who help make our girl feel loved--all-year--long.

Hadley wouldn't hold the snake for a long time, but Kassy liked it. She named the snake Ashley! (Kassy is wearing a shirt on top of her leotard. )

With the Furr-Real friend, whose name is Apple ("because she is red, yellow, and green--like apples."

The guy is Jordan. He lives with us. I haven't written about that either....I know I am behind.  

Hadley and her doll, in the official horseback riding outfit of the colonial period, at the American Girl restaurant....more about that trip later.