Vivian's Weekend of Birthday

We wanted to celebrate Vivian's birthday with friends, but different friends were available at different times, so we ended up with a celebration in several stages.  The first was an escape room, which we had never done, and Vivian really wanted to try.  I found one in Old Town Alexandria that had a room for kids, and so we got a group together.

The kids actually did a good job working together, and we solved it all with just a few minutes to spare.  As a reward, we took them all to Guapo's for some yummy food.

The tortilla machine is always a big hit, and Vivian used her Spanish to ask for a free sample.

It was great to have a good group of kids to celebrate with.

We hadn't made the cake yet, so all the kids got ice cream instead.  A couple days later we did the cake while we still had guests to share it with.

The next night, our friends had to fly home, but after we dropped them at the airport, we made our pilgrimage to Fogo de Chao, so that Vivian and Jeff could get their birthday steak.  We told them that Vivian's birthday was the next day, so they made her a special plate.

Elena was happy to help out with dessert.

On Vivian's actual birthday, Jeff took her to the International Spy Museum, and they had a great time trying out the various activities.

They even had time for a stop at the gift shop.

Grandpa and Grandma Goerss sent her some birthday money, and the first thing she wanted to buy with it was a MEDIUM Robecks smoothie, since we only ever get her a small.  At first, she thought she was going to go full large, but then she saw it, and backed down to medium.  To her credit, she drank the whole thing.

She also finally got her birthday presents.

She had asked for some games for our trip to the Finger Lakes, so we got her Taboo and a 750 piece puzzle.  She had also asked for a phone, and she fully expected to get one, so to throw her off the scent, I wrapped a four pack of cards that was just about the right size.  I got quite the look for my trick.

I did take a moment to enjoy her reaction, and then I got the last present.

It was, indeed, a phone, but it was given to her with some pretty strict restrictions.  It's not for everyday use, but for special uses, like when she goes to camp in DC and when she babysits.  She was more than happy to accept those conditions.  We ended with Elena's presentation of her present for Vivian, bubbles.  The girls decided to go out and play with them, while Mom got the birthday blueberry pie ready.

The pie was a big hit, and I think that overall Vivian had a great birthday long weekend.