Ooh, Grandma and Grandpa got Penny an ice-cream cake for her birthday!
Grandpa cuts the cake.
The cake is pretty tasty, but it needs something...
A glob of icing the size of Penny's fist!
We didn't really think she would sleep, ever again, did we?
But it's all worth it, for that smile.
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'Can I have that bit, there?'
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'Back off, Grandpa! This is MY cake!'
This isn't just any bed...
It's a Superbed!
More garage progress: no more stairs!
And the blocks for the crawlspace and floor joists are laid.
Exterior framing done.
Exterior wall and floor joists.
Floor laid! We're getting close!
Reading a bedtime story with Grandma Jill.
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This is what I get when I ask Penny to 'look cute for the camera.'
Birthday party at the Jumping Party! Where does this go?
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Through a forest of bumpers, and then... a stair?
Down a slide, whee!
The stupid mesh on the big jump pit ruined most of my shots by absorbing the flash.
Hi, Ray!
We had several no-shows, so Penny's party guests were Jess, Ray, and Dillan from school. They didn't seem to mind that it was a small party, though.
Of course they all gravitated to the one attraction that cost extra...
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Dillan's turn on the slide.
And Jess's...
And Ray's!
A different slide -- Penny and Jess took this almost together.
Birthday cake.
Jumping Party had a red-and-blue room that was perfect for our Superman theme. They supplied the tablecloths and balloons; I brought the things on the wall.
Gift table -- including the Superman balloon we got for Penny, and the t-shirt supplied by the place.
Astonishingly, they got all four kids in one spot and facing the same way long enough for the adults to take a couple of pictures.
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Those are my presents over there!
Mm, juice boxes!
I see Jess is following in her mother's fine tradition of deliberately ugly wrapping paper.
I almost couldn't get Penny to open the rest of her presents, she was so enchanted by the baby doll.
I think Penny may have been more excited about the Supergirl bag than the present inside it.
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...Well, almost.
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Mm, cake and Cheetos!
Time for more Cheetos!
We continued the party with Jess and Ray's families -- the adults had pizza for dinner...
...while the kids splashed in Ray's pool
Superman flies again!
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Happy birthday, Penny!
Penny got a kid's makeup kit for her birthday. She loves painting her nails.
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Of course, she needs a little more practice.
Garage progress: No more Mystery Door!
Garage progress: Framing for the utility closet.
Waiting for the store to open... What would a 4-year-old wait so patiently for?
...Chocolate. Of course. (Maybe not so patiently...)
Wait... that chocolate wasn't for us? Happy birthday, Elizabeth!
Garage progress: I got lazy about the frequent pictures, so we're all sheetrocked and sanded and even painted! Maybe I should stop calling it the garage, now.