Birthday, basketball, baseball...

This is 8...just hours before turning 9... 

After bedtime, Xander came back downstairs to put this card -- and nine one-dollar bills -- on Clare's pile of presents.

He also gave her his first beloved, now outgrown, pair of Air Jordans.

A minecraft piggy!

She was really into the $9.

Michael and I went to Clare's classroom to see the class celebrate Clare's big day. Here, they're singing "Happy Birthday" to her.

She then got to choose a bunch of different class activities.

I went back and grabbed her for lunch, her choice. She of course chose Dairy Queen.

Playing with her new Thinking Putty from Grammy Eve.

Clare, Xander and I then headed to Yakima for Xander's basketball tournament. Clare, again, chose DQ for dinner and these sweet teammates of X's sang "Happy Birthday" to her. Embarrassed her to death, but I also think she secretly loved it.

I sent X off to his game with a teammate so Clare could enjoy a basketball-free birthday night. We played in the pool...

...ate junky snacks and watched tv...

...and played games on the iPad.

Xander returned late from a tough, two-point overtime loss.

The game the next morning was a blowout, with D-Block winning 51-18.

Meanwhile, Michael and Clare has their own adventures on the way back to Bellingham, with a stop at Snoqualmie Falls.

Xander and Jake pick out their tournament shirt.

Not a bad little river view from the balcony of our hotel.

Showing off his new shirt between Saturday's games.

Clare also got to stop at the LEGO store and spend some of her birthday money.

This game was SO exciting. We won 45-42 over the team that would eventually go on to win the entire tournament -- we were the only team to beat them all weekend.

Helping me check the light for...

...a team photo!

With the rest of the afternoon off, a few of the boys gathered at one of the hotels for some pool time.

It's become a Yakima tradition that Xander and I chill in the hotel and watch Family Feud at some point.

All the boys and their families ate dinner together at Yakima's famous Miner's burger joint.

Xander and I then found ourselves incredibly entertained by watching a group of hotel guests attempt to hit golf balls over the Yakima River behind our hotel.

It was way more exciting than you'd think! :)

We started Sunday with another HUGE against #1 seed from our pool in the quarterfinals.

Happy kids!

One of the families hosted a barbecue at their travel trailer. Fun in the sun for the boys and the families.

Heartbreaking loss in the next game, 44-42, against a team that played pretty dirty, to be honest, sneakily pinching our players throughout the match-up.

A little more fun in the sun between games as they prepared for the 3rd/4th place game. We lost another squeaker, 50-53, pulling in a respectable fourth place in the incredibly competitive tournament. 

My favorite first baseman, on the diamond Monday night.