Inga's 8th birthday was celebrated twice. Once on her real birthday with The Cousins, and once the following Saturday with school and soccer friends.


Here you see Inga, Will, Ian and Ava playing a spirited game of "Solarball," an equivalent of soccer played on in-line skates, but with fewer rules. More flexible rules, too.


For the other party, we drove seven screaming girls to a nearby orchard for hayrides, apple picking, and scarecrow construction. Here are the girls at the orchard, followed by a picture taken in a backyard leafpile with the new friend they "made."

Naturally, there has to be one goofy shot.
After presents and cake, the girls made Barbie mummies.

First, they open up to backs of their dolls to remove the lungs, liver and intestines (a jelly bean, a burnt peanut candy, and a gummiworm we put in before the party) and place them in a reliquary (a plastic 35mm film container).

Then they wrap the dolls and decorate them with appropriate masks and symbols.

Here's Inga's.

Folks, let me tell ya. This is a great way to clear out the Barbie bin in the toy box!

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