Quacky Birthday!

It's been five years since our fifth daughter came home with us.  Five years!  Five daughters!

Oh, Lucinda Hope, we love you so, with all of your cuteness and quirks and endearing oddities.  You will always be our favorite duck-horse.

The morning of Lu's birthday, I woke up with mastitis, which I'd been afraid would happen in the days beforehand and which kind of ruined my big plans to do a week's worth of birthday preparation in one, rushed morning.  Those Who Know are shaking their heads in empathy right now.  For Those Who Don't Know, just imagine me being hit with a sudden case of the flu-- aches, chills, fever, the works.

So, Annie, bless her heart, made Lu's birthday pancakes.

Millie made Lu's birthday requested supper of homemade pizza, and, Millie, bless her heart, also made Lu's cake and frosting, leaving only the frosting application to me. Tho' she begged to do that, too, I didn't know how she'd execute Lucinda's request of a duck-horse, her favorite animal.  Frankly, I wasn't sure how I'D execute that request.

It turned into a My Little Pony-Duck, which in my state, was more than good enough.

She was a pleased, little girl the whole day through, and she couldn't stop grinning.  Not one sourpuss gleam to be seen anywhere!

 Presents opened.

Big sister approved.

I didn't finish these gifts until two days later when antibiotics were kicking in and making me feel alive again. (Rocks from the dollar store, painted with several coats of acrylic, and sealed with Mod-Podge acrylic sealer.)

I love how these rocks look and feel, but after a month and a half of use, the paint is already chipping off.  I guess making a drawstring bag in which they jostle around together wasn't as brilliant an idea as I thought.  Oops.

Grandma gave her a baby doll, so I made some new diapers to fit-- with fancy wipes-- because every baby deserves such luxury.  (Lu's third present is not yet begun, Susannah's third present is unfinished, and now Annika's birthday fast approaches!  Ahhh!  And I should probably finish some more Christmas gifts, too, since it's mid-March.)