Is there anything bigger to a four-year-old than their birthday? Erica has been counting down for weeks!
Saturday we had a combined birthday party for her and her cousin Maddie who turned 5 that day. They are best cousins. Erica chose pink cupcakes for her party and she did all the sprinkles.
Letting her go to town with the sprinkle jar was the best present ever.
At my mom's house, first thing first: put party hats on babies.
The birthday girls!
We
played games requested by the girls: Pin the Bow on Minnie, Bingo, and the thimble game.
Then they opened presents.
Sarah uses her towel from Rachel as a towel and blanket.
And then we sang. Sadly I didn't get a picture of Maddie and her cute cake.
Sunday after the Superbowl, I set up her birthday presents before heading to bed.
I had to wake her up the next morning. "Is it my birthday?" She got a little dollhouse.
And a birthday crown quickly made by me in the basement before she found me. It's hard making surprised for the one kid who never naps or leaves the house without me.
Henry gave her a sweet card and some his pokemon he thought she'd like.
I got her a Merida princess doll. I scoured ebay for weeks to find a decent deal. Magiclip dolls are expensive now that they aren't manufacture anymore.
Taking a pause between presents.
Half of her gifts were food including "banana wafers".
I finally got her baby album put together. 3 years late! She loves having her own album on the baby album shelf along with Sarah's and Henry's.
She picked waffles for breakfast and almost finished one. After Justin went to work and the kids went to school, she vegged in her new princess tent while I cleaned her room. (Monday is room day but this was another gift for her.)
Then while James took a nap, I finished her cake. She wanted a Minnie Mouse cake and this is what I came up with. Abstract Minnie, I called it.
Then she got to put in the candles. (Can you see all her food on the table?)
She wanted chips and cheese and chocolate milk for lunch while watching the kindle.
She's so dang easy to please. The only things she asked for was Sour Patch Watermelons, chocolate milk and balloons.
Once James was up, we headed to Macey's to get her some balloons which was the only thing she requested to do the entire day. This is the outfit she put together.
She wore her birthday crown too "so everyone will tell me happy birthday and that I'm four." I think they'd know she was 4 by her outfit.
Birthday ice cream cones!
After school I made Sarah and Henry stay home and play with her. They usually run right out to play with friends after their jobs. Henry was mad but Sarah was nice about it. Her friend Madison from across the street came over to play too. Then it was time to go to dinner but first our traditional photos with her.
She's my buddy. I am so sad that she's growing up because I have enjoyed her so much! Day one I knew she was good for my heart. The only consolation is that if I have loved every age so far, I will continue to think she's the best kid at 4 and 9 and 13 and 16. I think I will always like her. She's just that fun.
Geez I love this picture. These two are so dang funny together. And they're temperaments are so similar. Must be why she and I get along so well.
Off to Chick-fil-A! Months ago she asked if we could go to Chick-fil-A for her birthday and even though she wavered and considered Brick Oven for a day or two, she stuck with her gut and chose Chick-fil-a and my parents came along. (Funny story: On Wednesday her birthday meal postcard from Brick Oven came in the mail. "How did the mailman know it was my birthday?"
Don't even get me started how grossed out I am that Henry took his socks off. It's so he can climb up the slide.
Say good-bye to this cute outfit. I've accepted that James has outgrown it.
Once we got home, it was time for cake!
And then the kids got goofy with the party hats.
While the kids were getting ready for bed, Justin and I had one more surprise: Glow in the dark dance party! I had some glowsticks I saved from the summer just for this occasion. It's tough having a birthday in the winter on a school day so I wanted to do something extra special for her.
Here are the pictures I took of her today along with some of my favorite things about her.
She is easy going. She's thrown 3 tantrums in 4 years and has been to time out twice (for not cleaning). (She can still be quite the pill, just not the unreasonable kind.) She does not like it when Justin and I get after her and it breaks her heart when we are mad.
She is so giggly! I love her laugh. It is so contagious!
When she grows up, she wants to be a doctor for babies and a mom but never wants to move out.
She is the best sister (if you don't count the fact that she eats their food hidden in their rooms) She is always willing to play what Henry and Sarah want to play and she tries so hard to find things for James to do to make him happy.
I love everything about that cute face. The freckles, the big blue eyes, the "Anna bangs" and cute cheeks. If she gets caught in a fib, she'll squish her mouth or pull down her eyes to disguise her smile.
She talks and talks and talks and talks. Everyone is so impressed and surprised by her vocabulary. Some days I need a break from her chatter, especially by dinner time.
And then she was done with pictures.
Happy Birthday Erica Bear!
