Bistro Birthday

It occurs to me that a casual observer may have gotten the idea, from my post about her birthday and gifts, that Clare is a bit of a tomboy. Playmobil and LEGOs aren't exactly the essential tools of a girly girl. And yet Clare really, truly is. Or, maybe not. Maybe she's just really well-rounded?

Anyway, this year, Clare elected to celebrate her birthday by choosing two friends to join her for lunch at the American Girl Bistro & Boutique (also known as the U.S. Mint). We were fortunate to have Donna in town to join us, so we were a merry group of five. We arrived with plenty of time to browse the boutique before our lunch reservation, during which time Clare consistently bee-lined for books on display. As Donna so affectionately remarked, "She really is a little nerd!" We mean that in the nicest way possible, of course.

Just as we were all starting to get really hungry, it was time for the three-course feast to begin. Clare, Jillian and Elise each brought an American Girl doll, each of which were given their own chair at the table. The dolls also were given miniature chocolate chip muffins, which they kindly shared with their caretakers. Donna and I had such a blast just watching the girls giggle, observe their surroundings gleefully, and eat with gusto. Jillian, as a friend from CKS, and Elise, a friend from Clare's preschool days, did not know each other, so Clare did a great job of introducing them and making sure to always stay in the middle so that no one felt left out. Donna and I were very proud of our little diplomat.

The meal concluded with the signature American Girl birthday cake and serenade. Darling - and tasty, too! We opted for a bit more browsing after we ate, especially since Clare had that gift card burning a hole in her pocket. (She spent this card - courtesy of Uncle Brian and Aunt Karen, or Dr. Seymour to all of us now! - on clothing for her Felicity doll, so she's not totally immune to the allure of toys!)

From there, for the piece de resistance, we headed upstairs to the mall's gorgeous carousel. Not a bad way to end a birthday outing!