Carmen is 6!

It had been a little while since Carmen went to Tropical Islands.

Summer 2020 with Bal

Her brothers have since gone a couple times for their birthdays but Carmen wasn't on the invite list. The stars have to align for me to make the trek:

- must be mid-week and not during a school holiday

- has to be with people I love

- bonus points if you go with someone on the actual birthdate because the birthday person gets in free

And so, this year was perfect because her birthdate was on a Monday and this is the last year she can skip a day of preschool. Skipping actual school here is a finable offense. Also, two of our favorite people, Jo and Alexander, were available.

As luck would have it, Jo has a car. Only a third of people own a car in Berlin, so that was a big win. 

Jo also brought party hats, magazines, and fun activities to do along the way.

Taking a car to Tropical Islands is a game changer. It takes an hour instead of two and there is no constant looking at the watch to make sure we don't miss the bus. We did all the things - water slides, lazy rivers, go-carts, climbing structures, sauna - whilst narrowly avoiding water cannons straight to our faces. 

After a successful return car ride, employing a bucket of popcorn to keep the kids awake, we arrived home to a surprise cake from Bal. 

We were home too late to call family and friends, that will be happening soon. Carmen's last request was to use the face paint she got from Alexander for her birthday. Crosby volunteered his art skills like the boss big brother he is.

I'd be lying if I said I don't miss the baby phase. But Carmen continues to snuggle me and her fashion sense - cheetah/sparkle/unicorn - is just what the world needs right now.

Happy Birthday Carmen! Each year you are even more awesome than the last.