Golden Party

 Xanthe and I decided it would be fun to go to a movie for her 10th birthday.  In the olden days, I would have made a whole Oscar theme out of the golden birthday, with golden Oscar trophies, a black/and/red centerpiece with appropriately striped popcorn containers, old-fashioned filmstrip borders and antique cameras.  We would have had Hollywood activities and goodie bags with expensive candy and toys.

We seem to have swung the opposite direction.  The invitation requested no gifts, but to bring $4 instead, for the movie and treats.  Xanthe was totally fine with the no gift idea.  She knew she would still get presents at the family party, and there was so much excitement surrounding the friend party that gifts would have been completely superfluous.  We had a great time, and each girl loved paying for her own movie and treats with her dollar bills.

Jade, Aubrey, Isabella, Xanthe and Esmae

Before the movie, cake!  While I had been teaching, Araceli jumped in and got the house cleaned up and the table ready to go. We were out of birthday candles, so Araceli made a big deal out of presenting the "Big, golden candle we save especially for Golden Birthdays!"

 The lovely group at the Kaysville Theater, plus my little buddies, Tziporah and Ptolemy.  Paddington Bear was an adorable movie, which I enjoyed immensely.  Perhaps it was just the popcorn talking.  I had been on a diet all week, the thought of that Saturday popcorn getting me through.  It was totally worth the wait.

 Next stop, The Baer Creek Assisted Living Center.  I imagine it's not every little girl's dream to have a birthday party where nobody brings presents and you take your friends to an assisted living center to get an orange stick from your great-grandmother and play a game called "Guess how old Nana Ruby is," but that's what we did.  (Esmae won the game.  She was the only one, including Nana, who could remember the exact age!)  Nana is fun to visit.  I try to go every day, but it's not easy to fit it in, and sometimes you have to do it during a birthday party.  These girls are the sweetest.  They graciously accepted their allotted orange stick before taking a tour of Baer Creek, led by Xanthe and Esmae, who were quite proud to be the great-granddaughters of our party star.

 When the girls got out of the car at their homes, I had a momentary twinge of guilt that they weren't carrying Oscar-themed goodie bags.  But you know what?  I don't think it mattered one bit.

No more popcorn!?  This is the real tragedy!