Let me start off by saying that I got one of the best awards a mother could get last night:    Baby Duck told me this was her best birthday ever.  We had her party on Saturday, but I wanted to make her actual birthday really special.  E had to work all day, then had class at night, so we decided to have her open presents before he went to work.  That meant we had to wake her.  We all went in and sang "Happy Birthday" to rouse her.  
    After we opened presents, we made the every day things special:  Birthday Waffle, Birthday Shower, Birthday Outfit... then went for Birthday Lunch at Red Robin with my dad/stepmom/stepbrother/stepsister/aunt.  The food was tasty and Baby Duck didn't notice how grouchy and neglectful the server was, so it went well.  She got balloons, a song and a sundae, so all was right in her world.
    Once I discovered that Ladybug was not going to lay down for a nap, we went ahead and went to the park so Baby Duck could try out her new rollerblades.  She showed such tenacity while trying to learn how to propel herself.  Not once did she even fuss when she fell.  Most times she didn't even want help to get back up; she really wanted to figure it out on her own.  I was so proud.
    We decided to finish off the day with Birthday Dinner at Cinzetti's.  It was just us three girls, so I just figured the place with with the buffet of desserts was probably the best place to finish off a birthday.  Baby Duck discovered a new favorite food there:  calamari!  She also learned that she enjoys fried zucchini.  It was at Cinzetti's that I asked her how her birthday had been and got the "best birthday ever" response.  Even cooler?  She said that her favorite thing all day was getting to spend time with family!

CL