We celebrated a friend of Makenzie’s 2nd birthday party today. I think it was one of the best birthday parties we have been to.The weather was perfect for another day outdoors.

Which worked fabulous with the party because they had so many cool toys set up for the kids. Makenzie and the birthday girl had fun hopping around together in a little jumper.

They had other inflatables too, which Braedon had a fun time with. While asleep.

And we can’t forget the mini rollercoaster!

Where were toys like this at my birthday parties growing up?! I think piñatas were about as exciting as we got.

In between all the playing, I nabbed a snack plate to share with Makenzie.

I basically ate all the veggies, dip, and rye  bread. I could have eaten a plate full of the spinach dip. So delicious! I think spinach dip is my favorite savory party food. I say favorite savory because, well, anything sweet always wins. Like cupcakes.

I don’t think the kids liked them at all though.

Not one bit, right? 😉

Thank goodness we did have cake and cupcakes at least. We may not have had roller coasters, but by golly we had cake!

I remember my favorite birthday party had My Little Pony cupcakes and decorations. I was obsessed with My Little Pony.

Other favorite toys during my young years…

So basic, yet so fun. I obviously spent my childhood all in the 80s. It’s so weird that some of these have come back into popularity too. One thing I hope never comes back though?

My sister loved those things when I was in high school. Annoying as all get out!

Question of the Evening – What toys did you love growing up?

Before my good friend Mandy left this morning, we made sure to fit in a girls’ dinner out. It was just what I needed!

I love doing the mommy thing, but going out with a good girlfriend sans kids is necessary at times. We had to dine somewhere close, so I knew just the place. Where else than my favorite Mexican joint? Cheeky!

The restaurant had a 45 minute wait, but we didn’t mind. It gave us plenty of time to chat and catch up. And to get hungry. Chips and salsa were consumed…

I opted for 3 of their little tacos for my dinner. One pork; one fish; one crab cake.

Yum! It had been too long, Cheeky. It had been too long. And I certainly hope it doesn’t have to be too long for me to see Mandy again!

Here’s a little interesting fact some of you may not know. Mandy & I are great friends…and we met online in a fitness forum. The first time we ever met in person, she and her family came to stay with our family for a long weekend. We instantly hit it off in person, just as we had been for a couple years online. Our husbands said we were basically the same person…and we laugh at our husbands’ numerous similarities. Also, Makenzie & her daughter love all the same things. It was a friendship meant to be. It just goes to show that our relationships and friendships we develop via the Internet (hello…so many fabulous bloggers!!), are just as real as any friendship elsewhere.

I certainly value my friendships with people like my sister, my pals from church, and friends I went to school with…but those people I have grown close to online still mean just as much. In all honesty, you all probably know more about my life than others since I’m sharing here twice a day, almost every day. In short. I love you guys and you are very real friends to me. And thank goodness for Mandy, because if not for her Peter might still think its all “so weird to have friends online”.Then I would have missed out on meeting so many awesome people!

Question of the Evening – When & how did you start building relationships online? Summer 2007 when I joined the Oxygen Magazine’s fitness forum.