Double Digits

K turned 10 this year. I can't believe that I have been a mother that long. In some ways it seems longer. In others, it has flown by.

K is an amazing girl. She is smart and talented, but, more importantly, she is helpful and sweet, jumping up to help me should I even mention needing something. She loves her baby sister, and she shares her dolls, snuggles, plays with, and dresses her. K also has incredible leadership abilities. She can find ways to motivate her brothers when I have failed. I am so excited to see what God has in store for her, but I am going to enjoy the years I still have with her before she enters the big, wide world.

This year, K wanted to host her birthday party at home. I was not sure what to do with a houseful of preteen girls, so we decided to bake cookies. I made the dough ahead of time, wrapped it up in individual balls, and put it in the fridge for the girls to use when the party started. The girls each received a piece of parchment paper and a ball of cookie dough, and I laid out dozens of cookie cutters and a variety of sprinkles for them to use as well.

Rolling out cookies

Having fun

Sprinkles make it better

One of her sweet friends

Cutting out the cookies

Since we were already baking cookies, K agreed to have a cookie cake instead of a traditional birthday cake for her party. When the girls finished rolling out and cutting their cookies, they worked together to create a "cake" for K. It was fun to see what they came up with.

The unbaked "cake". They kind of went overboard on the sprinkles

 The cookie-baking process took longer than I anticipated, and we had to rush to open presents at the end. The cookie cake finished baking while she opened her presents, and the girls sang a quick "Happy Birthday" before departing with their plates of cookies.

Opening presents

Watching her open presents

Overall, I would say the party went well. I think the girls had fun, and I know that K did. If the birthday girl is happy, I count that as a success.