As we mentioned for a hot minute back in this post, Clara picked her party theme this year. What does she love more than monkeys, ice cream, firetrucks, and the mailman? Worms.
So the first thing on the party agenda was settling on a date (this Saturday the 12th, two days before her actual b-day on the 14th) and figuring out the guest list (our closest family and friends totaling about 30 people, ten who are kiddos under the age of four). Then it was the fun part. Invitations! We made three versions of them before picking our favorite (yes, making invitations is our idea of a good time). For the first one we used some shots from her 22 month photoshoot and although we loved the shapes and the fabric and that cute smile, it just didn’t have any worminess.
So we played around some more and came up with this guy, who runneth over with worminess:
As cute (and worm-ish) as we thought it was, we just kept playing around (yes, we’re nerds, and we only get to do it once a year) and came up with this more graphic – and just as wormy – alternative:
Third time was the charm. Yes, we made chevron worms (maybe worms are the new chevron?). Of course we thought any of the options above would be great (and some folks might prefer #1 or #2 more), but we just loved those three little worms inching their way onto the number two with our smily girl in the middle of the number and the promise that “there will be worms.”
So we ordered just enough to send out to our crew, and even saved $15.77 thanks to googling around for a Winkflash coupon code:
It ended up being $1.58 per invite including an envelope ($28.54 for eighteen 5 x 7″ invites on matte card stock – not photo paper). Which isn’t pennies, but definitely was a nice discount from the original price of $2.19 per invite. As for why we went with Winkflash, we used them for last year’s invite and were really happy with them. A lot of services offer templates for folded cards but it’s hard to find postcard-ish offerings that are completely blank (so you can upload your entire design without them putting a frame or some type around it).
And when they arrived? Love! They do such a good job- no weird printing lines or cheap-o feeling – we liked going with the larger size (5 x 7″) and the thick matte card stock paper. So that’s probably more than you’ve ever wanted to know about a two year old’s party invitation, huh? Haha.
But now for the party deets. Of course we’ll be back with a post after this weekend’s festivities, but just like last year, we thought a little sneak peek of our supplies might be fun (here’s last year’s). This is our table o’ stuff, some of which we had around already, like the yellow napkin dish ($2 from a thrift store a few years back!) and the fabric banner I sewed for Clara’s first birthday (we’ll re-use the runner I sewed too) along with a paper one I made for that party as well and some cute bird napkins we grabbed from Ikea about a month ago (birds like worms, right?). Some of the stuff is new of course, like the plates, worm-ish candles, some balloons and streamers, some paper lanterns, etc (all hailing from Party City or Target).
Oh and see that pink arrow in the top left corner of the picture above? It’s pointing to this ice tray that we picked up at Ikea last month, because we thought we could even make some worm-ish ice. Or fill it with jello and make little jello worms.
So that’s on the agenda along with blowing up some polka dot balloons and some worm ones too (there is close to zero actual worm paraphernalia at Target and Party City, so when we saw worm balloons we couldn’t believe it).
As for all of the worm-related ideas, here’s what’s on our crazy brain dump list:
- Make pipe cleaner worms to hide outside for a worm hunt
- Make a grass runner with gummy worms (or plastic worms) on it
- Collect paper towel rolls for some sort of worm craft…
- Use streamers taped in little swags to look like worms (maybe across the beams in the living room and out on the patio somehow)
- Serve apples with a gummy worm coming out and other worm-ish snacks
- Cut peppers, cucumbers, and cheese into worm-like sticks and serve with dressing (worm crudité? how fancy)
- Skewer grapes or other sliced fruit onto straws (less pokey for the kiddos than skewers)
- Worm pizza (we’ll serve regular pizza for adults but put some cooked spaghetti on the slices for the kids)
- Worm dogs (these are just hot dogs, haha, but we could make ketchup or mustard eyes and a smile)
- Make white frosted cupcakes with oreo “dirt” sprinkled on top with a gummy worm (we thought about “dirt cake” or “dirt pudding” in a mason jar but it’s just too messy and hard to eat for all the 2-3 year olds)
- Worm jello (we could just toss some gummy worms into jello sort of like a jello mold but instead of fruit it’s worms…)
Who knows what we’ll end up doing (definitely not everything!) but it’s fun to write down a bunch of things to see which ones stick. Oh and check out the favors I love so much that I assembled them a full week before the party. Nerd alert.
One of Clara’s favorite things to play with outside is our watering can (filling it with leaves, rocks, sticks, you name it) so when we saw cute green ones at Ikea for 99 cents we grabbed one for each kid (hoping they’ll like them just as much as our girl does). Then in the toy aisle we came across tiny stuffed worms for 49 cents each! Just kidding, they were snakes, but we cut off the pointy red tongues and voila: happy little worms. We also tossed a bottle of bubbles in each watering can along with an orange or pink scoop from Target (50 cents each). Brown tissue paper (aka: dirt) finished things off and gave us a spot to stick our scoops full of worms. We’re so excited for Clara to see hers. We’ve been hiding them all (I made them during a nap and stashed them all in the guest room) so it should be a pretty good time when she realizes that everyone gets a watering can, bubbles, a scoop, and a worm of their own at her party.
Oh and look at these candles we found at Tar-jay. Wormy, right?
This = a typical trip to Target. We thought grabbing two outside balls for kids to play with on the patio might be a good idea. And of course Clara picked her two favorite colors (orange and pink – which are one of the reasons we picked those colors for things like her invitations and her streamers).
So that’s the deal with party planning. The basic gist is that I’m wishing we bought one more watering can, scoop, and stuffed snake worm so I’d get one of my own. I’m totally 30 going on 2.
Any party prep going on for you guys? Do you have any tips for keeping it simple and fun? We generally like to order food (something inexpensive but crowd-pleaser-ish, like pizza) so we’re not slaving over the stove all day. But cooking is my mom’s favorite thing, so she’d rather cook for thirty people and just grab ready-made invites. So there’s definitely more than one way to get your par-tay on. Can’t wait to share pics from this Saturday! And we’re building Clara something for her b-day. Something big. Ok, I’ll just tell you – it’s a dollhouse!!!!!!
So excited to share the breakdown with you guys when it’s done (as expected, we’re just getting started so we’ll be working overtime!). And now for the general trite mom statement (but it’s painfully true). Oh my gosh, how is my baby two already??? Dude, she was just turning one like three months ago.
Psst – You know $herdog loves her some Eminem, Snoop, Dre, and Biggie, but the new Karmin CD is uh.mazing. Seriously. Anyone else in love? I’ve been “YouTube in love with them” for a while (since this) and adored when they were on Ellen. Their new songs make me want to finish that dollhouse double-time (while pausing for a few obligatory dance breaks).
karen says
i love it!! can’t wait for the pics!!
all i keep thinking about are Glow Worms…man our toys were so sophisticated 25 years ago!
Stephanie/SwoodsonVintage says
I love “worms” made from jello in flexible plastic straws, like this http://www.cucinafamiglia.com/2011/10/jello-worms.html
You could probably make them bright and cute instead of realistic and creepy though :)
Cute invitations!
Katie says
Probably been said, but look up how to make jello worms with straws on pininterest.
Kris says
I see it now: worm-theme parties trending for 2-year olds, thanks to YHL! Have a wiggly-good time :)
Tara G. says
My soon to be 4 year old wants a piggy party. When I came across a smocked piggy dress, the deal was done. We party in 1 1/2 weeks. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that’s adorable!
xo,
s
Ally says
I *love* that Clara loves your mailman! (Maybe not as much as worms, but hey, we’ll take it! :)
My fiance is a “postie” (we’re Canadian :), and he just *loves* when the little ones along his route run out to say hi to him! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Ironically, the mailman is Burger’s nemesis and Clara loves him. Haha.
xo
s
Larissa says
How have I not heard of Karmin?! They are awesome! I just spent my entire planning period watching their videos. I’m a music teacher though, so everybody’s used to hearing random stuff coming from my classroom. Thanks for the intro!
It’s so fun to see how much you enjoy that (not so) little bean of yours. Happy Birthday to Clara!
Lindsay says
I have a cupcake business and a favorite kid pick is the “worms in dirt.” Make the cupcakes however you want and frost them. Then dip them in crushed oreos and top with a worm :) It’s cute and easy and kids love them. The party you have planned sounds fabulous! :)
my first comment had the wrong website :(
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, that’s exactly what we hope to do! Just do some oreo dust on top with a worm! Hope it works!
xo,
s
Nicole says
Oh my goodness! She is two already?! I feel like you were just pregnant with her! It’s official, I have been stalking your family/reading your blog for a reallllly long time! :)
Nicole says
Ok not really stalking but the idea. It sounded bad after I posted it haha
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, no worries! I knew what you meant;)
xo,
s
chm says
Love the invitations. Shouldn’t it be “10 of *whom* are kiddos. . .”?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, totally! Off to fix that.
xo,
s
cali says
I just made my daughters bday invites. I made it in Photoshop and uploaded to vistaprint. 30 invites w/envelopes and 30 thank you cards to match all for about $30! I looooove vp! Happy birthday miss Clara!!
Julie says
My oldest girl and I started decorating for my babies Carnival 1st bday about two weeks early. The “Big Top” tent curtains may or may not be still hanging in my dining room with the mirror & her “L” from the Party at the end of March. ;)
I think I make 3 or 4 versions of every single card we send out (holidays, invites). If only I were as talented as you in Photoshop, I always have to purchase digital scrapbook paper from Etsy!
Esther says
How about some kind of game (haven’t totally figured it out yet) where the kids get to play at being worms somehow? Maybe like a potato sack race but a squirming wormy race? Not sure what exactly, but its so fun to see what it feels like to be something else – an animal, a worm, whatever – when you’re little
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- cute!
xo,
s
Autumn Supernaw-Halbedel says
We just had my daughters third birthday, it was a Curious George party! We had spaghetti, in honor of George’s favorite food with fruit salad. I made a Curious George face cake by the request of my princess. And we planned to play monkey in the middle or animal charades…but the kids were engrossed in playing on my daughters slide bed. We did color t-shirts and Curious George printables. There were fruit candies, Runts to be exact. And my daughter and I made paper chains as decoration since George makes everything himself and I also made a “Happy Birthday” paper bunting. Of course there will balloons and a monkey hanging from our chandelier! Hope Clara enjoys her party, hope you guys do as well!!
YoungHouseLove says
So cute! Sounds like so much fun!
xo,
s
Leslie says
Weird we just had a worm party for my son!! seriously! ;) Oh my gosh it was a hit. Here’s some ideas we did. I actually bought some red wigglers (compost worms) at our local feed store and you can go to a bait shop and pick up some night crawlers. The kids had worm races (which worm disappeared back into the pile of dirt first), human worm races (the adults were hilarious, we just put plastic bags with a head cut out over each person and they had to get from point a to b without using their arms. Hysterics. Then at the end we let some lady bugs go in our garden area and the kids got to play with the bugs (nicely) because well we like our bugs as well! Have fun and can’t wait for pictures!!!
YoungHouseLove says
So cute! I love that we’re not the only worm party peeps!
xo,
s
Andrea says
(My apologies if this question has already been answered…)
I would love to read a play by play of how you made Clara’s 3rd card. The way you incorporated worms is definitely adorable.
What software do you use for your graphic design? Adobe CS5 by chance? If so, do you know of a good tutorial that is on the shorter side for photoshop, etc.? I know that there are a bunch of tutorials on Lynda and similar training sites, but I find all of the options overwhelming. Also, I think I’d simply prefer to read about the basics and then fiddle around with the software. My goal is to design my Christmas cards this year from scratch.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We used Photoshop (version 7) and we just made a worm. Just one. Using the letter W. Then we duplicated that layer a bunch of times and used the color dump tool to make them different colors and then just placed them in rows to make the tiled design. Hope it helps!!
xo,
s
Andrea says
That is very helpful! I can definitely see the w now. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Glad to help!
xo,
s
Rebecca says
FYI – next time you do DIY invitations you should check out mpix.com the 5×7 flat cards (with envelopes) are $19.20 for a set of 25 and they print both sides for that rate so you can do a fun pattern or something on the back (maybe more worm chevron). I’ve used them before and have been very happy with the quality.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cool! Thanks for the tip! Winkflash runs some awesome sales (someone got 30 invites for $3.99 this morning from them thanks to a good promo) so we must have just missed a more major one.
xo,
s
Anna Ransdell says
Here is a link to make jello worms that even have the ribs like real ones :)
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/10/spooky-eats-jello-worms-seriously-gross.html
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes we love that project!
xo,
s
JessieBelle says
Hey guys, such a cute birthday idea! :) If you’re still looking for “worm-themed stuff” go to a outdoor/fishing place and look at the tackle! Lots of fake worms, in lots of cool colors! (somebody may have already mentioned this in a previous comment, didn’t take time to read them all! :)
Can’t wait to see the doll house…
YoungHouseLove says
Fun idea!
xo
s
Sarah says
So cute! I love how you all always seem to be able to do themed parties at just the right level– not over-the-top, not thrown together at the last minute.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Sarah! That’s sweet of you to say. I think kids are happy with sugar (cupcakes) and the rest is just extra. Haha.
xo,
s
Christy B. says
Such a fun party idea, makes me want to get started on my baby’s 2nd birthday! And Lil’ Miss Clara shares her birthday with my hubby!
Tracey says
Don’t forget about gummy worms!
Also, not sure what you are doing for cake, but have you seen the oreo flower pot dirt cake? It is made in a flower pot and you put oreo crumbs (the chocolate cookie part, minus the cream filling) on top to make it look like dirt, along with a fake flower and gummy worms. It would be cute for your worm themed party… and it is delicious!
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,196,139179-238206,00.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,186,159188-255192,00.html
http://shawn-scarborough.hubpages.com/hub/Oreo-Dirt-Cake
Or google oreo dirt cake or flower pot dirt cake.
:)
Your invites are SUPER CUTE!!!
Tracey says
Ooops! Just saw a similar previous suggestion and your reply about the cupcake modification! :)
YoungHouseLove says
No worries at all! There must not be much worm stuff out there, so we’re getting a few suggestions a lot. Haha. So much fun though!
xo,
s
rm says
Hi,I’ve not commented before, I guess I’m a lurker. I’ve not had the chance to read the whole post yet as my kid is with me (I’ll be back later!) but before I forget I just wanted to tell you that I saw jello worms before, made with bendy straws. Might be worth a google :)
rm says
Oops! I see about a trillion people beat me to it!
YoungHouseLove says
No worries! Haha.
xo,
s
Amanda says
I’m in the midst of party planning for my husband’s 35th birthday party this Saturday. Since he was born in 1977, I’m going with a 1977 theme (which, was a pretty fun year to work with).
We will be making all the food (grilling will be involved), as well as a massive Star Wars cake, and all the music will be from 1977.
YoungHouseLove says
Fun!!! I love it.
xo,
s
Jess says
On Winkflash they say all flat cards have a Winkflash logo and a barcode on the back… do yours have that? Is it obtrusive?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes ours have that. It’s small and on the very bottom of the back of the card, which is just white. Don’t really notice it much!
xo,
s
Kari says
Hmm, hate that my mind thinks this way, but are you sure those “worm” balloons aren’t actually meant for a bachelorette party?
YoungHouseLove says
I am totally second-guessing that… if I blow them up and they look questionable I’ll pop them.
xo,
s
Marissa says
When I was a kid, one kid brought “cups of dirt” to school for their birthday (instead of the usual cake). It was the most fun/delicious thing I think I’ve had to this day. It’s basically oreos and pudding and gummy worms!!
You should try it:
http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t–2693/wiggle-worm-dirt-pudding.asp
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’s so yummy! We mentioned considering it on our brain-dump list in this post but thought it might be too messy for 2 year olds, so we went with cupcakes.
xo,
s
Carrie C says
I am sure you have already pinterested for worm like things but I swear I saw that you can put jello in a regular straw and it makes jello worms…I bet you could put water in them too for fun worm ice…in case you have time on your hands;)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah that’s a really fun project!
xo,
s
wilma says
I tried posting this already, but I think I pressed the wrong button…
Anyway, the suggestion of quartering the hot dogs is great; hot dogs (I recently learned as my 2.5 year old was eating one) are one of the top choking foods for toddlers (makes sense if you think about it). My son didn’t choke, but someone who’s kid did mentioned it to me when she saw him eating the hotdog unquartered or halved.
Also, the chevron worms are simply awesome. Now you need chevron worm material, haha.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that tip! Thanks!
xo,
s
Emily says
Love the watering cans and party plans playing off Clara’s obsession. :)
Angel says
http://blog.hwtm.com/2011/04/down-in-the-garden-birthday-party/
I like the worm theme you’ve got going on. I can’t wait to see pictures! Here’s another party that sort of reminded me of worms. I’m sure you’ve got it all figured out by now, but it’s too fun not to share.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s adorable!!
xo,
s
Heather says
What a cute party! Thanks for sharing that link, I’ve been looking for a good Party Planning Blog and this just might be it!!!
Wilhelmina says
Too funny—I was watching a video of Karmin yesterday and was struck how much they remind me of you two! Happy talented couples are taking over the internet…and I like it like that!
YoungHouseLove says
Haah- no way! They’re big awesome rockstars. We’re DIY geeks. Haha.
xo,
s
Valerie says
So jealous … I miss the days of party planning for the littles! I love it that you took an interesting off-beat theme and ran with it … isn’t it amazing that you can find all those things when you hunt hard enough??
Now for the obvious (stupid) question … what program did you use to create your invites??
Happy BD, Clara! Have fun!
YoungHouseLove says
We used Photoshop (version 7). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
alex says
I worked at a preschool as a pre-k assistant and every week is a different theme to learn about so all the activities pertain to the theme. For bug week We did a fun counting game by drawing two eyes and a smile on all the kids fingertips with washable marker and we’d go like “who can show me eight wiggly worms?” And they’d all hold up eight wiggly fingers, etc. There might be a song, I cant remember ha. But the lowly books were a total favorite and making bug crafts.
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!!
xo
s
amanda says
What perfect timing! I’m planning my sister’s wedding shower and trying to design the invites myself so I’ve been searching the web for advice and design and so on, so lucky I did my daily check in with YHL!
heyruthie says
OK, so this is probably silly to post, and before all our time, from the very early days of Sesame Street, but please tell me Clara knows this one. there are various versions out there, but this is the vintage one:
Inchworm
YoungHouseLove says
I don’t think she knows that one! Is there a link that fell out?
xo,
s
heyruthie says
Hmm….I linked a YouTube video, which shows up for me, but maybe not for you. Could be the comment block those links?
Anyway, there’s a song my mother used to sing to me, called “Inchworm.” It turns out it was originally sung by Danny Kaye in 1952. Then, it was repopularized on Sesame Street in the ’70. And then, as a cute twist, many years later, Danny Kaye sang it *with* the Muppets. If you search for “The Muppet Show – S3 E16 P3/3 – Danny Kaye” on YouTube, there’s a long-ish version with him doing it with all the Muppets–in tribute to the earlier versions. It’s really cute. I bet Clara would love it. The real chorus starts with the “Inchworm, inchworm, meausring the Marigolds” part. It even uses the word “arithmetic!”–in honor of your Dad ;-) Hope you find it.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- cute!!
xo,
s
Erin says
A worm party, how fun! We did a dirt theme in my preschool class and did worm are with spaghetti and froze gummy worms in ice for a fun drink!
http://www.thechocolatemuffintree.com/2011/05/spaghetti-worm-painting.html
http://www.marthastewart.com/265405/worm-ice
Happy birthday Clara :)
YoungHouseLove says
Love both links! So much fun!
xo,
s
keapdx says
Love the worms Clara!
Maybe the folks need one of these in addition to the compost heap :) because worms make great, if undemanding pets.
http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/easywormbin.htm
(and kudos on the dollhouse. One of the best Christmas gifts my sister and I ever got was a homemade doll bunk bed. My dad made it from scrap lumber and my mom sewed sheets and blankets. I realize now that it was probably born out of lack of funds, but is an absolute heirloom. I think we were supposed to get a doll house one year, but my dad who had been sent out to shop came back with Ft. Apache instead…)
YoungHouseLove says
Love that worm bin! And that doll bunk bed sounds adorable.
xo,
s
dionne davis says
cool way to make jello gummy worms. courtesy of
pinterest!
http://www.buyemergencyfoods.com/DIYGummyWorms.aspx
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah I love that!
xo,
s
Sara says
I love you guys!! Seriously, too cute. I love coming here for house updates and how-to’s, but am always equally as excited for a post about your little bean. That video was adorable!! She was so proud of herself about her dream :)
Ashley says
So cute! You have plenty of ideas already but this lantern idea could work for a worm instead of caterpillar!: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/design-studio/celebration/the_very_hungry_caterpillar_1st_birthday_party.html?cm_type=gnav
YoungHouseLove says
Such a cute idea!
xo
s
Meredith J says
The party looks like it’s going to be SO MUCH fun!!!! I just watched about 5 Karmin videos on Youtube. Can you say AMAAAAZING?! Who the heck can rap like that besides Weezy and not die running our of breath after 30 seconds??? Crazy. I will for sure be showing that to more people. Thanks!!!
Amy Knisely says
Aww Happy early birthday Clara! I found this site and thought it could help add to your wormy food choices: http://susanyuen.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/black-bean-chili-cheese-dogs-for-halloween/
Of course, not with all of the chili, but just cutting the hotdogs and cooking them like that. I thought it was pretty neat.
My god-daughter’s 2nd birthday is coming up in August. I have no idea what kind of theme they’re planning (her parents are getting married a month from today so they’re a little pre-occupied right now). My husband and I are going to learn to play songs from Cinderella since her name is Aurora and play them at her party (where hopefully someone is recording it).
Amy Knisely says
Whoops, not Cinderella… Sleeping Beauty. wow… you can tell I only have cats and a dog…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so cute!
xo
s
Lisa says
You guys are awesome! Only you could make a worm theme absolutely adorable! My little girl will be 2 tomorrow and we had her pink lemonade themed party last weekend.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, happy birthday to your little one!
xo,
s
Lina Neufeld says
Your little girl is the cutest!
Christine says
The worm party theme kinda reminds of me of how the prom theme last night on Glee was… dinosaurs.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahhahahaha- that was the best. We wathched it last night and my favorite part was their photo station for taking pics on that dino-ride thing.
xo,
s
Christine says
Hi! I am not sure if someone already shared this one but I wanted to share the cutest dessert idea that we used to do for my sorority rush (it goes with the theme and it could be fun for her party!) We got terracotta pots in small size and then took Styrofoam cups and cut them to fit inside the little pots. Then you put ice-cream in the cup, put crumbled oreos on top of the ice-cream and then gummy worms coming on top of that. It ends up looking like a little pot of dirt with worms coming out. You could always substitute the ice-cream for a cupcake or pudding or whatever you want that can be covered in Oreos (mostly everything)… Anyway, they were always a big hit! Good luck planning, what a cute theme!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes that’s such a sweet idea! We thought it might be too messy for all the two year olds so we’re going to do cupcakes with some oreo crumbs and a worm on them instead!
xo,
s
erica says
I made a worm stromboli once. Super easy. You use premade Pillsbury pizza dough. Stuff it with her favorite stuff, close it shaping into a worm with a head and then take food coloring and paint on stripes, use black coloring to paint on eyes and cook till crust is done. So good.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- sounds cute!
xo,
s
Mallory says
I think you guys should totally offer up your invitation designs as templates on Etsy! You could at least make some money for your effort and other people could enjoy them too! I love all your graphic designs that you create!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw you’re so sweet Mallory! We’d be happy to offer them as free downloadable templates if anyone’s interested. We just didn’t think many folks would want to throw a worm party! Haha.
xo,
s
Cair says
That party looks like it will be great fun for all. I’m glad invite 3 won, cuz that’s my fav.
Can you believe it’s been two years already? Time just goes crazy when you have kids. Looks like you’re making the best of it, though.
Happy birthday to Clara, and happy birth day to mom and dad.