birthday + northern lights + a lot of food

The girls were so excited about my birthday which made it extra fun. They really wanted to give me breakfast in bed so they helped Ben prepare it and then surprised me. Amelia was inches away from setting the tray down on the bed but it was just too heavy for her and she lost control and an entire glass of orange juice spilled all over the bed. Needless to say, we moved breakfast to the dining room table. But at least I got freshly washed sheets for my birthday. I went out to lunch with Ben and Elsa and Oliver and then we had a little party in the backyard when Amelia got home from school. The girls did a performance for me (see video below) and I opened some gifts. They had also helped Ben make a lemon cake and they presented me with many homemade cards. Amelia even wrote a poem for me.

 

Later in the evening Ben and I were able to go out. We went to Ted's Bulletin for dinner (and devoured the most delicious s'mores shake). We had to get a few of their famous homemade pop-tarts to enjoy later as a late night snack. (And they were delicious.)

We stopped by the Kennedy Center to see the Northern Lights which were part of the Nordic Cool festival (you can read about our earlier visit in this post). They projected lights onto the exterior of the building to try and replicate the Northern Lights. It was pretty cool.

Later in the week, a generous friend offered to watch the kids so Ben and I could go out for lunch for one more birthday celebration. It's always fun to go on a date in the middle of the day. We headed to one of my favorite Old Town spots, Fontaine Caffe and Creperie. I was in love with my savory crepe (the Farme'rs Market which was loaded with delicious things like zucchini, tomatoes, spinach and feta). We couldn't leave without having a sweet crepe too so we split the Wild Berry crepe (fresh strawberries, strawberry ice cream, almonds, and a raspberry sauce). And just for good measure, we stopped into La Madeleine for a few more treats to go. I got a free slice of chocolate cake for my birthday and then we tried a few mini tarts which were delicious. And then I'm pretty sure I went home and fell into a food coma.