So yesterday was Emma's big day and the last big celebration in the Viera's month of celebrating! I love this time of the year with so many things to look forward to. But, we have been so busy lately it will be nice to have a reason to settle down.

After Emma woke up, we presented her with her gift - her own car! Ok, it is a little car. But, she can really drive it. Unfortunatly, the weather was pretty crappy so her time on it was minimal. It ws so fun to watch she amd Madz take off like Thelma and Louise.

Our whole little family packed up and went to a birthday party for one of Emma's little friends - she was ok at being at another kiddos party. She just kept reminding us about her upcoming party (which I still have to plan and put together, by the way).

Home for play, naps and all of that fun stuff. Then a visit from Grandma Kim and Grandpa Don for some more birthday fun, then on to Chuck E. Cheese. The four of us had a ton of fun running around going on rides and playin games. Thankfully we bought just enough tokens to last a while, but not too long.

Chuck E. Cheese's is an interesting place to encounter persons of all backgrounds and parenting/personality styles. Jay and I were amazed by the lack of "editing" people have out in public.

Today we went to chuch, then to the store for our little get together later and naps. Emma NEEDS naps, but don't try to tell her that! I think that she is hitting the pinacle of a growth spurt. She has a snappy little tongue and is in a fluxuating state of crabbiness. It is like she turned 14 instead of 4! So after she started crying because she said that she bit her finger, we gave up the napping thing for the day.

I received a call from a friend of mine from L.A. who was passing through town on her way to the airport. She and her fiance stopped by for a visit. It was great to see her. We caught up with her Hollywood lifestyle and work on some movies and her fiance's work in animation - got some inside stuff on Shrek 4!

Our party guests arrived - Aunt Beth, the cousins, Grandma Kim and Grandpa Don. Emma got to play for a while with a couple of her cousins who she LOVES playing with! The kiddos, for the most part, played and played together and we didn't even hear much from them. We had more guests arrive and Auntie Ashley too! It was a lot of fun!

Rounded out the night with some big kisses and hugs for daddy who is off to Dubuque (sp?) Iowa tomorrow for the week and I will be awaiting the wrath of my email to the city about the damn driveway.