She partied like it was 1999 and more from the weekend so far.

My daughter went to her cousin's birthday party.  The birthday party wasn't due to commence until about 8:30 PM due to the softball game that J and her other overnight guests had to play.

Y'all, the game didn't end until 9 PM.  It was first year kid pitch, so the balls were high and low.  Most kids walked and sweet love, it took forever.  It was almost, but not quite, as boring as watching the soap box derby.  (No offense to the derby fans out there.)  K was so bored that she went to the car to get a sweatshirt and a book.

By the time the girls all arrived, it was heading onward to 10 PM.  We had children opting (my included) to take an evening dip in the very chilly pool.  They made personal pizzas, spray dyed shirts (some, but most in the AM), played games, had S'mores and as my daughter told me, "I was on the trampoline at midnight!"

She partied.

And partied.

And partied.

She was one of the last still standing.  What time did she finally fall asleep?

5 AM.

That wasn't a typo.  It was 5 AM.  When I called to check on her this morning I said to my sister, "I'm sorry.  She got up at 5?  I'm so sorry."

"No.  She fell asleep at 5."

I think something to the effect of, "You've got to be kidding me," fell out of my mouth.  As I told LeAnne, she is an only child and she's afraid that she's going to miss something.

When I arrived, she was a pile and wanted to leave "right now."

"Babe, I'm sorry but this isn't about you.  I'm here for the family party.  We're not going to be staying into the night again.  We have to go home and help dad with work stuff.  I'm not leaving now.  We're staying and visiting with the family."

She cried for a few, but pulled it around.  Turns out that she accidentally broke a brand new birthday squirt toy of her cousin, J.  J had received it the night before.  She got two of them.  They are the long, crayon looking spray plunger tubes and she batted a flying ball with it.  It snapped and J was hardly even speaking to K.  K told me that she had been tired, didn't know what she was thinking and just hit the flying ball with it.  She wasn't lying and she isn't destructive.  J is a child of many in the house and was peeved that her new toy was broken and she figured that she wasn't going to get a replacement.  I promised J that we would get a new one and that she needn't be mad at K anymore.  I promised that I would call and let them know when they can pick up the replacement.  I had to laugh that J's sister, my niece C, told J, "Really?  That's what you are mad about?  Those are cheap and you can get them from the dollar store!"  Still, my sister and her family live on the back 5 and a distance from the stores.  Replacement and extra funding to do so isn't always done.  K and I did go to three different stores and we've been unable to find the squirter.  We will find a replacement and if cheap enough, we'll get a few.

M has been so busy at work that he named this evening, "Family Science Night," since he needed us to help him with setting up some kid experiments for his science camps over the summer.  I exploded baking soda and vinegar over the table until we got the right amount to blow up a balloon and to blow the cork off of a bottle.  We figured out why the can experiment wasn't working and after about an hour and a half of fiddling with it, we finally got a hot can to completely crush itself when instantly placed in a bowl of very cold water.  Hubs pulled my Food Saver out and will be growing marshmallows for the kids.  He'll also be crushing a can with the vacuum bag.  It was a successful evening and he was glad to have our trouble shooting help.

Rewinding a day gave us yesterday morning where K started sewing lessons with a friend of mine.  Sewing is not something that I really know how to do, so when K asked if I could teach her to use the sewing machine, my response was, "Why no, I cannot.  I have an idea of someone who can."  Yesterday, she learned to thread the machine, fill the bobbin, how to sew using the guides on the plate, and is busy trying to remember to leave the needle down when turning a corner and trying to recall that she needs to put the presser foot down before sewing.  She loved it and L even had her make a pillow for her American Girl doll.  :)  K was so excited that on the way there, she told me that she "will teach her children how to sew and her children's children."  How sweet!

Tomorrow's boating plans have been scrapped because of storms coming.  K and I purchased picnic supplies, so I'll get the Nathan dogs in the crock-pot with the baked beans in the morning, we'll go (by Hubs' request) to take K fishing and we'll have a family day with just us.  My in-law's just got back from a week in Chicago and are kind of beat and my dad is battling bronchitis and ended up in the ER overnight.  He had severe chest pain and thankfully, it turned out to be inflamed bronchial tubes due to all of his coughing.  I'll do a doorway drop of his gift, but we're leaving my mom and dad to be under their hazmat tent.  K went to work with Hubs this week and participated in their Advanced Fishing Camp.  Bless her heart, she even won an award for the "Most unusual fish caught."  She caught something that they call a "war mouth" because the inside of its mouth is camouflage in color.  Who knew?

Tomorrow, we look forward to lovin' on Dabby.  (A very tired note left behind for K one day was signed off as "Love, Dabby" and Dabby has just stuck.)  Our plans may have changed, but as long as we're hanging together, it's all good.

Have a great night!