Gracie Gets Sick For Her Birthday

First grade is great--for germs!

Thomas came home last Thursday and announced "Alex threw up at her desk today." By Friday morning (4am!) Thomas was throwing up.  Saturday night (around 9pm) Mommy was throwing up. And, by Thursday (this week) (at 3am) Gracie was throwing up.

The family that pukes together stays together?

This Norovirus strain is an awful one and it lasts for days! The first thing that Gracie said after nearly crawling back to bed was "now I can't go to the American Girl store!!"

And, after a bit of debate, Garren and I decided that traveling 2 hours one way to Tyson's Corner for what has become Gracie's annual birthday adventure was a bad idea. She would be miserable and not really able to enjoy her special day.  So, we have tabled that birthday treat, but despite the change in plans, this mama did all she could to make her first-born's day a special one!

Gracie's 12th birthday happened to co-inside with Home Depot Kids Workshop build day, so we all went.  I wouldn't typically take Tobias, but I saw they were building wagons and I wanted him to have one too!!!

Daddy was hungry, so we then treated the family to McDonald's breakfast where the birthday girl got one of those coffee (and I use that term lightly--it's nothing but sugar!!) concoctions that Aunt Dawn got her into.

We stayed kind of mellow most of the rest of the day as Gracie was still not 100%, but she choose her favorite food for dinner: spaghetti. And, I let her choose a cake flavor and I went out and got it and fixed it and decorated it all girly just for her.

Thankfully I had some table decorations stored that I had never used, and a few little extra things that I wrapped up for her to open.  Again this year Gracie just wanted money to spend at the American Girl store for her birthday, and most relatives obliged. She is hoping to have enough to bring Kit home this year.

We got Grandma & Grandpa on the ipad with FaceTime and we let her blow out candles and sung to her.

And, after cake she got to choose a movie and she and Thomas got in their pajamas and watched the movie from the floor with piles of pillows.  She of course chose Frozen. That's another thing that has become tradition. Last year on her birthday I let her choose the movie and fixed her a cake since we had planned an AG trip for the day after where we would do all of our celebrating. She said that was the best part of her day--so  I think we may keep it up.

I think despite the germs, Gracie was very much celebrated and enjoyed her 12th birthday. And, we promised her we would take her to the American Girl store next Saturday--so there is more celebrating and fun to come!

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