Nicole’s 5th Birthday
I liked this little picture that Nicole was given in primary on Sunday, so I used it as a centerpiece for Nicole’s monkey birthday:
Nicole started off her birthday with a batch of apple-spice pancakes:
After breakfast, Nicole opened and played with a few presents. (It was X week at school, so the kids were invited to dress as pirates all week) 
She loved this purple sock monkey so much that she took it to school:
Nicole loves the bus and her bus drivers so much that she said she wanted to ride the bus rather than be driven to and from school.
We brought Monkey cupcakes in to her preschool class and got to school just in time for recess. So we stayed to play:
As we were leaving, Nicole as making a pirate ship. Her teacher painted her hand white and she put white handprints on her picture:
We met her at the bus stop with 5 purple balloons:
Ila fell asleep in the stroller on the way to the bus stop so while she rested, Nicole opened another present:
Nicole insisted on a McDonalds with a play place for lunch. 
After lunch, we drove to Isaac and Charlotte’s school to play on the playground while we waited for them to finish their after school science class:
It was a hot day for Seattle (high 80s) so after the playground, the kids cooled off in the back yard with the little pool.
They all came in and got dressed before our guests arrived and Nicole opened more presents while she waited:
Nicole opened the rest of her presents with her grandparents, aunts, and uncle watching through the computer:
We had pizza, sang the birthday song, and ate monkey cupcakes:
And eventually she went to bed.