It's 89 degrees and the middle of August, so what should you do for your birthday? Go ice skating! Thanks to all the family help, we had a wonderful time.

Rose invited a bunch of friends and we said siblings were welcome, so we ended up with 13 girls (5-10 years old) and David. We also said drop off was fine, which in retrospect, might not have been the top choice. We had six adults out on the ice, and we could have used 10, or at least several more as good as my sister is.

Picture 13 little girls in their pink mittens and long pants that have gotten too short over the summer, arms clutching the side rail, legs going wiggle waggle, tushy suddenly betraying them as it careens forward, and feet moving moving not going anywhere.

They were having fun though. They really were. And truth to tell, a handful of them, including the birthday girl, could actually skate.

Things I worry about went very well: They loved the snacks. Cheese sticks, booty, and hot cocoa were winners. They did not turn up their noses at the goody bag--homemade cocoa packets, mini marshmallows, and homemade snowflakes. Everyone oohed and ahhed over every present. Rose really showed her appreciation. No kid felt left out. No kid got seriously injured.

I got pretty stressed out prepping the party, especially hunting for mittens and the extra paper plates, but once I got there, I had a really good time.