Epic 11th birthday

 Truth be told, Harrison didn't totally WANT a bike, but we needed to get him a bike because he was outgrowing his old one and all of his friends have mountain bikes.  So, because we are TERRIBLE PARENTS, we squashed his original desire to NOT have a mountain bike like his friends and made sure he FIT RIGHT IN, the same as everyone else.  #WINNING

You guys, the birthday hats.  What am I going to do when they are sick of wearing the birthday hats?

 Here is Harry opening the one thing he truly wanted for his birthday: a popsocket for the back of his phone. $9.99.  THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SUCH A CHEAP BIRTHDAY.

 Cons of having 3 siblings: everyone is always up in your business; it;s hard to have slumber parties without your bratty little brother; you have to share everything
Pros of having 3 siblings:  LIFE IS ALWAYS A PARTY; at least 3 people always think you're awesome; they always want to celebrate with you.  TOTAL WIN.

 This was my view while the boys were at diving lessons.

 And here she is waiting for her class.  SUCH A DIFFERENCE FROM LAST YEAR.

 Harry had cash from my aunt plus tooth fairy money burning a hole in his pocket, so we went shopping in the morning and then to lunch at Chili's (his choice).  At eleven, he says he is done with kid menus.

 Dorothy was totally stymied by the covered mirror, which is too bad because her recital is TOMORROW, but she did love signing the paper after class.

 And then I almost called 9-11 because I couldn't find her anywhere. (I found her).

 While shopping for birthday party supplies at the dollar store, Dorothy happened upon a packet of Anna/Elsa sun catchers, and no other dollar has ever kept her so busy for so long.  I should go back and buy a bunch for bday party favors (and then I would, of course, lose them by March).

 We are killing it at summer reading so far.  Jack is on giant chapter book #2, and even Harry, who really doesn't like to read (TRAGIC) is limping along.

 It looked like rain yesterday, and I was so worried that we would have 14 kids in our basement doing god knows what in a thunderstorm.  But!  It magically cleared up!  And Harry's epic 11th birthday pool party was ON.

The first 45 minutes were beyond rowdy because the water ballet team was practicing in the diving well, so the kids had to stay in the 5-foot, which they took as an invitation to beat the shit out of each other under the guise of playing football.

 At adult swim (the lifeguards have probably never in their lives been so excited to blow that whistle), they ate 5 pizzas in a flash.

 Cooper ADORED being one of the big boys

 Selfie during the 15 minutes that no one was in danger of drowning.

 ...And Cooper ate his plate a little.

The pool manger told me he was opening the slide at 7:15 to take some of the pressure off the middle of the pool.  I think he only planned to keep it open for 15 minutes until the diving well opened up at 7:30, but our party went down in a steady stream until 7:42.

 (I tried to get a pic of Jack on the slide, but he comes down too fast)

 He was DELIGHTED when all the big boys hid at the bottom to scare him on his way down.

 She's still so proud that she can do it herself, which is adorbs.

 He was having a tremendous time.

 If we thought they ate the pizza fast, that was NOTHING compared to their devouring of a pretty big Oreo Blizzard cake.

 I mean, they almost ate Ben while he was cutting it.

 After the lifeguards blew the whistle to close the pool at 8:45, they let Harry go off the board (and the board that kids can't use during open swim because the deep end gets to crowded with the lanes) one more time.

 A perfect birthday party!

 We came home to watch A League of Their Own, but only Jack and I made it all the way to the end.  What a great night!