Miss 2011… Turns 11!

Seems like just yesterday you were a baby in our arms…

Except that’s not Jane, it’s Lucy, the current baby in our arms.

And now you wear my shoes with a little wiggle room, and will most likely be taller than Dad in a year or two.

Just when you’ve sworn the pantry is free of trick candles…

plumes of smoke and melted wax spilling onto the cake say otherwise.

We cleared our lungs at the nearby zipline park, where the girls were free to roam with their plus one after passing the refresher course. But seriously Jane, I’m going to need you to look a little more confidently at the equipment…

now that your height grants you access to the most challenging routes.

Okay, much better.

Which she dragged Nicole and I onto as her semi-willing adult supervision.

Everyone headed out two-by-two… and three for the split second it took Rose to work the devices. She left with her friend and from that point on we only saw glimpses of her until closing time.

Cate spent the time showing me how it’s done for as often as I could set the hefty carabiners for her.

The afternoon ended with a huge sleepover beg. Jane asking not to host… but to LEAVE US for the first time. Talk about underscoring the fact that she’s growing up!

I sent Rose, my most trusted tattletale, to be the evening’s eyes and ears. Jane didn’t look back, except when I told her to pose for the parting pic. Neither did my scout for that matter. Ken and I just had a preview of 18, and it kind of stings.

They promised not to be tired the following day. We should have added a few onto that, because those two girls dragged through life until Monday, Jane’s actual birthday.

We did see a little bounce when Ken helped her pack treats for her classmates Sunday afternoon. Likely from the siphoned sugar. 2.4 pieces for you… round it to 3 pieces for me.

Lucy, a huge fan of birthdays,

waited all day for the celebrants to return from school to squeeze her and

share the cake. However, she did not appreciate the wait.

But unfortunately with four, life does not keep pace with her patience…

or theirs.

It wasn’t long before the number of disgruntled attendees grew. It’s hard to decide looking at the pics who is more upset about Jane’s transition to pre-teen gifts. We teased out the Fitbit with a few training bras and that’s when the sibling expressions really took on a disgusted edge.

What’s worse than clothes on your birthday? “Practice” clothing.

They look happy because they haven’t realized a Fitbit isn’t something anyone else gets to wear.

Take a step back…

(sorry, a little Fitbit humor) there’s a late entry!!!

We’ve got Grandma making the save! At last, something to actually play with!

Rose and Cate are NOT ready for Jane to grow up yet… and neither are we.