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Dagny does the seven dance
Monday, June 21, 2021 at 04:44PM 
In four years she'll be eleven
OK so today we are going to skip over our customary Playing Favorites post so that I can tell you about Dagny's birthday party.
I meant to do this post last Thursday but that worthy goal was OBE*. No; not Order of the British Empire. No; not an Out of Body Experience. See asterisk below.
Melly tested positive for being stubborn
At any rate, my planned posting was preempted by pirate preoccupations, as it were.
But it's a new week. So let's get started.
The party was held here at Casa Weber on Saturday, June 12, two days before Dagny's actual birthday, which coincided with Flag Day as it does every year.
Those leftover Fourth of July napkins came in handy
Hence our patriotic theme this year, which the birthday girl herself requested.
And then there was the seven cake.
This is an almost-tradition in our family.
There was a supersized seven balloon
Meaning, if you're turning seven you don't automatically get a seven cake.
All the planets have to align, I guess.
The seven cake thing originated with TG, who turned seven in 1959 and was presented with a seven cake that his mother had made.
Seven cake with strawberries
He talks about it to this day.
When our Audrey turned seven, my mother-in-law made her a seven cake.
When our Melanie turned seven, I made her a seven cake.
We have seven cakes in common
In the 2012 post in which I told you about that, I mentioned that Melly was eligible to do the seven dance.
That was a reference to the book An Ocean In Iowa, written by Peter Hedges, who also wrote What's Eating Gilbert Grape, which in 1993 was made into a movie starring Johnny Depp in the titular role.
(In the book, Scotty Ocean, who lives in Iowa, turns seven and reacts by doing the seven dance.)
Seven and all set for the wedding rehearsal ... photo courtesy Audrey Weber
And after I posted that, Peter Hedges himself commented on my post.
That was a moment. Not gonna lie.
Still in the single digits
Anyway, ahead of Dagny's seventh birthday, and having decided to create a seven cake, Audrey acquired a special cake pan that comes with dividers and instructions on how to make a cake in the shape of any number or letter.
The cake turned out to be spectacular in every way. Audrey made buttercream frosting in white and iced only the top of the seven.
Mama came through for me in a big way
She then decorated the top part of the seven with strawberries and blueberries.
We put heaps more fresh strawberries in the space left on the serving plate beside the seven.
There was fruit salad
In addition, Audrey had a frosted sheet cake standing by in case there wasn't enough seven cake for everyone.
All bases were covered. We ate strawberries with our cake and put whipped cream on top of that.
Cousin Allissa is a big favorite
Yes we are hedonists but we are all okay with it. Come on in! the water's fine.
Before seven cake, we enjoyed Hungry Howie's pizza and Mari's Hot Taco Dip (minus the black olives) with Frito's Scoops. Also Audrey had made a mouth-watering fruit salad.
You'd better try Hot Taco Dip with Scoops pretty soon
The children went in swimming before we served lunch in the mid-afternoon.
At the conclusion of the first part of our feast, we proceeded straight to the birthday party part of the day, because our Stephanie had come from North Carolina with Melanie and Allissa, and she needed to get on the road for home.
The pizza from Hungry Howie's works every time
I made coffee and Audrey prepared to serve the seven cake.
She lit candles and we sang to our birthday girl.
Obsessed with Hot Taco Dip
Once we'd finished our delightful treat, Dagny opened her presents.
She received a new Bible from Aunt Erica and a stuffed corgi from her mother.
Aunt Stephanie found her a corgi pocket shirt at Goodwill
(Dagny and her mother are both corgi enthusiasts but the time is not yet right for them to get one. Instead, on the day after the party, they got a cat. I know; right? Quite a leap from corgi to cat).
(At any rate it's a female tuxedo cat and it's their first pet ever -- unless you count the ill-fated betta fish Dagny got from Andrew and Brittany for her fourth birthday -- and they asked me to help name her. I gave them several suggestions and they went with Wednesday.)
Corgi Americana
(Soon I'll do a Wednesday post but it could be on any day of the week, so keep a weather eye.)
We gave her some clothes and an educational game. On her actual birthday, TG and Dagny went to the store together to get her a new scooter.
We saw that patriotic theme all the way through
The day was rounded out by my taking iPhone portraits of Dagny with her mother, with Papaw, with her Aunt Stephanie, and with Allissa.
I was too tired to be photographed with anyone.
Her new Bible has her name stamped on the front
Melanie would not consent to be photographed with anyone either -- unless you count my caged bird skeleton (I call him Cassius Crow).
We made the best of it.
There's always a pot of coffee
By late afternoon, everyone had gone home and I had a chance to rest.
Then, I had a week that was at least seventy-five percent busier than my normal week.
On Wednesday, TG and I celebrated our forty-second wedding anniversary. After prayer meeting, we went to Monterrey for fajitas. At least that's what I had.
Now she has a stuffed corgi AND a new cat
On Thursday, our church hosted a lovely and generous baby shower for Erica.
On Friday, we were invited to Cherica's house for dinner with some friends of theirs.
The weekend was eventful as well. For one thing, Dagny's first-grade teacher got married on Saturday and Dag was in the wedding.
I think that's a lip gloss ... photo courtesy Audrey Weber
Then there was our family Father's Day celebration, which took place on Sunday and involved zero preparation by me. Can I get an Amen?
It was low key but no less uplifting.
It involved being together, going out for Sunday lunch, and being seated at a long table in a big window while torrential rain fell outside.
Forty-two years ... and for most of those, he's been a father
In other words, perfect. Also there were just-baked biscuits with jelly, and the sweet tea flowed.
I could go on but I think that if I do, it will soon be another post altogether.
Here's hoping that your Father's Day observances were happy, and as memorable as ours. Also I hope that you will tell me about them, either in the comments or on your own blog.
Meanwhile, know that I love you.
And that is all for now.
*Overcome By Events
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Reader Comments (17)
You might be the busiest person I know! And with fun stuff to boot!!! Thanks for taking us to the party. I was confused on the 7 cake at first. Iām thinking, you make it with 7-Up? Lol, I get it now. Beautiful family pics and I love the corgi, too. Yum to all that food. And blessings on your anniversary.
@Bijoux ... haahahaa nope, just a boxed cake mix BUT Audrey zhuzhed it up by adding an extra egg, melted butter instead of oil, milk instead of water, and a box of pudding mix into the batter. I learned that somewhere along the way. It makes a very rich cake that tastes like it came from a bakery! Shaped like a seven. You can't go wrong. And now we will wait and see whether she does an eight cake next year! Thanks for your kind good wishes! xoxo
I hope you know that I had to scroll all the way to the bottom before getting any further, just to find out what OBE was! :) Then I had to check out the post where Peter Hedges commented - which is just so cool! Anyway, it's taken me a while to get this far. :) But that's ok, it was worth it.
Happy Birthday to sweet Dagny. I can't believe she's 7. These kiddo's just grow too fast.
That photo of Dagny and Audrey is so nice - both of them are just beautiful!
It looks like a fun party.
Happy Anniversary to you and TG. You two are a blessing to each other and so many others.
@Mari ... haaahaha thanks friend, and sorry to put you through that! And thanks again for the great Hot Taco Dip recipe! TG just about flips when I make it! BTW that night when Peter Hedges commented, I emailed him just to make sure it was really him! He was so nice ... xoxo
You sure have been busy! What a party, I love the 7 cake tradition! How about a number cake for each birthday? My favorite Dagny photo is definately the yellow skirt one! You and your husband are a beautiful couple! Happy anniversary, and I wish you many, many more!
@Ginny ... awww thank you friend. I think a number cake for each birthday is a GREAT idea and I hope Audrey does it! And I agree that the yellow-skirt picture is the best. The look on her face is so sweet. She loved her first-grade teacher so much and she was so thrilled to be in the wedding. xoxo
Happy belated birthday to Dagney! And Happy belated anniversary to you and TG! Great looking couple!~
Oh how cute with Dagney's party and the 7 cake. Absolutely the most adorable number cake I've ever seen! Looks like she had a great party; loved all the corgi things! Honestly, a cat over a corgi is a great choice at this age :) Less upkeep and probably less shedding!
Can I be adopted into your family? You guys make partying look so fun (and easy lol).
That was neat too that Dagney got to be in a wedding for her teacher!!
All wonderful events to celebrate indeed!
Really love it too that Dagney got a Bible with her name on it!! Best gift I do believe!
betty
Aww! Happy 7th Birthday to sweet Dagney! Tell Melly she needs to show her beautiful face for pictures! I love the idea of a 7 cake for birthdays. I think I may buy that kit you mentioned for Shauna for the boys birthdays! It's a cute idea! I also checked out the post where Peter Hedges commented! How exciting is that?!
@betty ... I totally agree that the best gift was her Bible and she already cherishes it. And yes, a cat is better than a corgi at this stage but honestly, corgis are just too cute and irresistible. I hope that someday she can have one. I hereby name you an official honorary member of our family! Come as often as you can and stay as long as you like. We party on the daily. And thank you for the kind wishes! Stay cool if you can and love to Winslow! xoxo
@Jeanette ... Girl I just about fainted when Peter Hedges commented on my post all those years ago. He is a great writer. What's Eating Gilbert Grape was a great movie but an even better book. I cherish my copy and I need to read it again. He's just an excellent storyteller; so down to earth and good at making you both laugh and cry. I love that. And I hope you will get the cake set for Shauna! She can do letters and numbers ... endless possibilities! I think Levi and Max will love having number cakes. As for Melly, its not showing her face that she's stubborn about ... it's sitting with anyone else for her picture! She just won't do it ... unless it's her mom, haahaha! xoxo
My compute* will print the lette*, only randomly.
But I have read here, today.
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You know the above, but I am putting it, on all comments. LOL
Delightful all. The delightful parts of "The Week That Was."
Belated Happy Anniversar*y Wishes!
Gentle hugs....
@Mari-Nanci ... thank you my friend! Your r-less computer is kind of cute, hahahahaha! xoxo
This all sounds just perfect! I love all the traditions and fun. I think every time your bunch sees each other sounds like a celebration! Well, there are no fathers left in our family. but I dug up some photos of my dear daddy and my son and I watched a movie or two. He called his dad and we had a great day. Getting that seven dance comment is really way cool! Have more fun times and enjoy each other!
@Gayla ... I loved seeing the pictures of your dad, and I particularly loved that you simply posted them without commentary. That was powerful! Pictures are life! They are everything. Yes the comment from Mr. Hedges made me feel very privileged. And yes, we do have a good time when we get together, although it tends to be exhausting for everyone, hahahahaha! xoxo
I love the photos. My favorite is the one of Dag with Grandpa. It is just precious.
I like Corgi too. We have thought about getting one. We had a Boston Terrier for 13 years, she passed in 2018. We are still thinking about getting a dog.
We already have a cat, her name is Penelope.
I always enjoy your posts.
Love, Carla
@Carla ... Aren't they too much, Dag and Papaw? You're very intuitive because as Erica commented when she saw that picture, it perfectly sums up their relationship. I'm not even sure how it does that, but it certainly does it. You have a cat named Penelope? I would LOVE to see some pictures of her since I am now a total cat lover. I am sorry about your Boston Terrier; we have lost dogs (our Javier lived nearly 17 years before passing away in 2016), but the good news is that there are always dogs out there needing love. I enjoy your posts too! xoxo
Dear Dagny, What a sensational seven you are! With all those Corgi-themed gifts, I thought a pup was on the agenda. But, a kitty to love is also good. When our Grands were little, scooters were a prized gift. Hopefully, you have band-aides on hand....Happy 42nd Anniversary, Jenny and TG. I love the selfie. Since July is Baby Month, I hope you and Erica (and Chad) take time to rest. All this partying must be exhausting (but fun).
@Barb ... YES it is exhausting in a way, but also such fun. Erica is at the end of her tether and resting almost exclusively now, although she does come over several times a week to walk around in the shallow end of the pool. She loves how peaceful that is. We had another pretty great celebration yesterday (7/4) with a huge chicken fajita feast that I made. Wow was that ever delicious and I got not one singe picture. We had a very nice anniversary and now are breathlessly awaiting the arrival of the wee bairn! And yes, wherever Dagny is, there will be band aids, haaahaa! xoxo