happy 3rd birthday, Aubree!

Breakfast time at Days Inn!
Aubree had stayed in the room
with her Grandma Bonnie
and me last night.
(No, I didn't think that one through.)
Afterward, Bonnie took the girl
home to get ready for her party.

Was today her birthday?
No, her birthday is the same
as mine!
May 29th!
There's only 54 years
difference in our ages!
There's 20 years between
me and her dad,
my half-brother Matthew.

I brought her this lovely beach bag,
a collectible Gnate The Gnat bobblehead
(even more valuable since the Sand Gnats
are in their final season),
a lizard I made on my last cruise {in 2006},
and the reversible bunny from
The Faraways musical (last October)!
It's like a crash course to help her get to know her Aunt Tina, wrapped up in one gift!

Enough about me!
(smile)
Here's Merritt, showing off
his new hat and T-shirt!
The best part?
He bought these Pokemon duds
with his own money.
How very cool is that!!!

We were at Logan's Roadhouse
for a bit of lunch before
the birthday party at 2 PM.
(Birthday parties that
begin at that time
mainly provide cake
and ice cream, you know.)

Logan's has a great activities
placemat for kids.
Animals to color,
a connect-the-dots,
a find-a-word... and I think
there may even have been
a jumble-type puzzle!

Michael helped Merritt,
while I assisted Conner.
Before you know it,
our food had arrived!
The table got pretty quiet then!
(smile)

Back to the motel for a change of clothes for the boys, then on the road!
In two cars.
With no address for the party site.
Uh-oh.
I wandered around lost for almost an hour.
That's okay, though!

The singing of "Happy Birthday"
and blowing out of the candles
was delayed just for me!
I was right on time!
Right on time for the gifts
to be opened, too!
Thanks, Lindsay, for letting me
talk about the presents I gave Aubree!

Oh, the many new dresses and dolls and girly toys!
And the bicycle helmet... and the bicycle!!!
And, what's that?
It's a "Hello Kitty" car!!!
Wow! Wow! Wow!
How will they top that next year?
Wow! Wow! Wow!

Promptly at 4 PM, the party came
to a halt.
I had already said my farewells,
given my thanks again to
Lindsay's dad for getting me there,
and generously hugged all who allowed.
I set the Nuvi for Hiram and off I went, crossing back into Georgia, and the Eastern time zone.
Hooray!
Sam had just gotten home from work, so we had Mexican for dinner, just the two of us.
Very nice!
Tomorrow I visit Tony, for the first time since his birthday in October.
I look forward to that, early rising and all.