Gigibeme: Simone's PRE-6th Birthday Celebration

Throughout Simone's school year, she would excitedly count the days before her classmates' birthdays. I found out her enthusiasm was mostly for the cupcakes her friends' mothers would bring in to celebrate the birthday kid. I thought it would be an excellent thing to do for Simone when the time came, but I found out that her last day of school was the day right before her birthday!

Not to worry, I thought. Who says you can't have a birthday week! I coordinated with Simone's teacher Mrs. Dye on when I could bring the treats and she suggested I do it during the class's End-of-the-School-Year Party, which was only 2 days before Simone's actual birthday. The kids and I were so excited and the preparations were all we could talk about for the couple of weeks leading up to it. Ok, we talked about My Little Pony and Monsters, Inc., too, but you get the idea that we were so. very. excited!

Our tradition is to make homemade treats on a birthday and for everyone present to pitch in.

Making the batter was pretty easy, but as time passed, the kids got so rowdy and hopped up on leftover batter that I told them I would just have to do the frosting myself. Max kept asking about every hour if he could have a cupcake. Luckily, we made them the night before so I only had to endure a few repetitions of the same inquiry. Unluckily, the party the next day was in the afternoon and, as the time drew near, Max's frequency of asking for a cupcake increased exponentially! And also unfortunate was a torrential downpour was scheduled to hit Tampa that afternoon! Fortunately, there was a tiny window in which the rain merely sprinkled and I got the cupcakes to their destination dry and fluffy.

Simone was soooooooooo excited to be the reason everyone got a treat! Her classmates (L to R: Jade, Isabel, Simone, Damani) were excited for many reasons. Pizza party, the near end of school, and new people visiting the classroom, mainly Max.

Mrs. Dye tried to get Max to help by having him pass out the plates, but he was so enthralled with being in a new environment that he just stood there with a plate in his hand staring at all the "big" Kindergarteners. He got to sit at his sister's table and f i n a l l y have a cupcake. You can see him in the picture above; he is wearing the Big Bird hat.

For the school party, Mrs. Dye had taped paper on the desks so that students could write on it. When the cupcakes were handed out and Mrs. Dye explained that it was Simone's birthday, the kids started writing messages on their sheets! Here are some of the inscriptions:

Willie is the same boy that asked Simone if they could be friends. It's unclear whether or not he meant boyfriend / girlfriend. I thought his message above might be a sure sign of affection, but other kids also wrote that they love Simone.