the birthday girl

discussions surrounding susanna's 8th birthday party began as long as four months ago.  "i want to have all my friends over for a sleepover!" susanna explained.  which sounded fine, until i asked her to come up with a list of people she'd like to invite.  when it topped twenty, i thought it might be best to steer her in another direction.  (twenty 8-year old girls in our house is not for the faint of heart.  and i guess i'm faint of heart.)  so when we realized that the "got to be NC" festival would be at the fairgrounds the weekend of her big day, we switched gears and asked four of her closest friends to join us.  out of the seventeen kid birthdays we've celebrated (seventeen!  that just freaked me out a bit), i have to say that it was one of the best parties we've held.

but wait! as they say in those infomercials.  there's more!  on her actual birthday, we treated her to lunch and frozen yogurt with another good friend, and to top it all off, we continued our tradition of having dinner at red robin with yet another bestie.  add all that to her celebration at school and church, and my goodness, it was a birthday fit for a queen.  or a north carolina princess -- take your pick.

 the group: lily, addison, susanna, anna, & kate

we soaked in the north carolina charm (which is, of course, the whole point of the "got to be NC" festival).  first up, watching a farmer milk a goat ...

... and then celebrating all things cow

 we enjoyed free popsicles ...

... and sampled some locally-made lip balm ...

... and learned all about woodworking

and then, having thoroughly educated all five girls on all aspects of tarheel living, it was on to the rides!

rapt attention back at home for the unwrapping of the presents

frozen yogurt with eliza on the actual day

and as if she hadn't already consumed her weight in sugar, we topped it off with a sundae and a waiter serenade at red robin with polly

to conclude, a walk down memory lane: at the left, polly & susanna (& liam) for her 5th birthday; at the right, for her 8th.  who needs a measuring stick when you have the red robin door handles to gauge your height?