Lyla is Four!

Lyla's birthday came and went and I didn't acknowledge it here on the blog. In her four years, she has taught me so much about myself. I continue to learn from her observations, curiousity and self-assuredness. From the serious (asking why the flags were at half-mast after the Newtown shooting) to the frivolous (helping me edit my closet by asking "do you where that a lot or a little? If just a little, get rid of it."), she manages to bring our relationship to a deeper, more meaningful level without ever realizing it.
 

{A Home Depot tool belt for her birthday} In typical fashion, the birthday party discussion was a big deal. Did she want one? Yes. At home or at a party place? At home. What theme? Let's discuss...We pored over party planning catalogs and websites to choose a theme. One day it was rainbows, the next day it was cowboys, then it was under the sea. She finally settled on camping. I don't know how she came up with that. My best guess is that she figured out you eat s'mores when you are camping and Lyla is a big fan of marshmallows. So, Camp Lyla was born. We hung trees in the play room with a big green rug and a campfire. We painted birdhouses and made trail mix. We had Tim Kubart come for a singalong and the kids had a blast. By the campfire Moms snapping away at kids by the campfire Lyla had such a good time with the music. Can you tell? Jack got in on the fun too! Best family shot we could get. The best part of any party is the after-party, of course. So the family hung around after all the friends left and continued the party into the evening. Just the cousins! Jack is so happy to be in the mix! Dennis and Jack bonded that day. Brian asleep on the couch. Always a sign of a good party! Lyla opened her presents and Dylan kept the gift list. We joked that they will be doing this for each other's bridal showers someday! Scary to think about! And that's a wrap! Lyla decided that next year's party is "Africa"...not sure what she has planned for that.