Lucky Number 7

What do you get when you add three birthdays in one week . . .

Seven dozen cupcakes of various themes, shapes and sizes . . .

and . . .
10 best-buddy cousins all hopped up on sugar and nitrates?

You get a three-ring circus! And one tired mom.

We had an awesome time celebrating one big birthday in March: Kolby turned 34, June turned 7, and Lyra turned 3.

Lucky for us, Our Bott cousins flew in for the big surprise. June came home from school and they jumped out from behind the couch. You would think there would be screams, cheers and hugs, but these kids just got right down to business and played hard.

Except for this boy, who had to take hourly breaks from play to eat four times his weight in chips and candy.

On the day of celebration, we headed to the bowling alley for some rowdy fun. Who knew you had to make an appointment a month in advance to get a spot at the lanes? We learned the hard way and had to dash across town to find another alley that would take us in.

So we bowled . . .

and bowled . . .

And bowled some more.

Then we headed back to Nana's circus tent and loaded up on bowling ball cupcakes, popcorn, and hot dogs.

Even these boys got in on the cupcake action.

Now mom is all cup-caked out. Seriously, I never thought I'd see the day when I couldn't stomach one more cupcake.

And so this little lady is 7.

Junie B. She's getting tall and skinny like a bean pole. She's a book-reading fool who never misses an opportunity to get a bug or plant under her magnifying glass. She's a helpful big sister who's learned the art of rolling her eyes rather than lashing out at her pesky siblings when they get into her stuff. She's a mostly-patient teacher to her sister who wants to be her mini-me. She's a singer in the car on her way to school. She's Dad's study buddy and Mom's fellow cook in the kitchen. She's our one and only June Bug and we love her like a son-of-a-gun.