Ellen's 6th Birthday 2013

Oh my gosh, how did Ellen get to be 6 already? I met her in the summer of 2008, when she was just 11 months old or so. By the time James was born, Ellen was around all the time trying to help with him. She has been one of his first and biggest fans. And now they play together! It's crazy.

James playing the drum for Ellen

Ellen's cousin Lillian was there too, and she's already 4. I see her less often because she's a visitor to the Cape like James is and they're often passing ships in the night, but this time they had a lot of time to play. It's really nice to see two super smart young girls like Ellen and Lillian interact. They seem like sisters. Of course, their awesomeness is due largely to their parents and grandparents. Lillian's mother Monica is teaching her French (with greater success than James and I have achieved at Spanish) and when the girls struggled to decide who's turn it was with the drum, Ellen's very wise mother told them to work it out on their own. And moments later they were passing the drum back and forth like they had invented the concept of sharing themselves. And singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight!"

Lillian claps to the beat of Ellen's drum

Lillian's turn

We had some delicious appetizers, and I enjoyed Monica's white sangria maybe a little too much. I would have liked to sit and chat more, but Kevin and chased James for a portion of the party getting him to eat little bits of appetizer as his dinner. Also, I was taking all these pictures. Obviously.

Hanging out with the grown ups

James petting Ellen's family dog, Sarah. Behind James is Ellen's sister Linny.

Ellen's grandfather Dave and his sister

Ellen's dad Mark and his mother

Ellen and Lillian's grandmother Dolores asking them to please stop singing 

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" for the millionth time

Spying on the presents while the adults are distracted

Ellen and James spent some quality time on Saturday morning too before we left town. She taught him how to make some funny faces, and he generally copied everything she did. They also did a little swimming together. I always call Ellen his "best friend" because he's seen Ellen more and spent more time with her than with any other kid. After all, Ellen met James when he was just a month old, and this is the 15th time we've been up to the Cape since then!

Ellen making a funny face

James copying the funny face

Look how cute Ellen was on her 3rd birthday. And this was when I met her:

Ellen at a year old with Grandma Dolores "Yaya"