The days that Elise has been incessantly talking about for months on end finally arrived this week: Her Third Birthday and Birthday Party! After months of asking "Is it my birthday today?!" we could finally answer yes. Although I do think she found it a little confusing that her birthday and party were not on the same day, they both ended up being pretty great. Marty and I had been going back and forth trying to figure out what to do for her party (something low key at our house vs. something more elaborate and special somewhere else), who to invite (just a few close friends vs. her entire class) and most importantly the dessert to prepare for the big event (cake 
vs. cupcakes). When I say that Marty and I tried to figure it out, it is actually probably more accurate to say that I agonized over every tiny detail and Marty kept me in check by constantly reminding me to relax - she is 3, will love whatever we do and let's make a decision already. And so we made decisions (but I don't think I ever did actually relax).
vs. cupcakes). When I say that Marty and I tried to figure it out, it is actually probably more accurate to say that I agonized over every tiny detail and Marty kept me in check by constantly reminding me to relax - she is 3, will love whatever we do and let's make a decision already. And so we made decisions (but I don't think I ever did actually relax).After a few bumps in the road with party locations, we finally settled on having the party at a (somewhat) local playground that has a nice pavilion with picnic tables. As you know, we are playground connoisseurs, and this is one of the best playgrounds around - lots of things to do for a variety of ages and skill levels, good amounts of shade, public bathrooms, clean and safe equipment and surroundings. And as an added bonus, it was free. We also decided to go ahead and invite her whole class because we didn't want to leave anyone out and we figured at a place like this it doesn't really matter how many kids actually come because it will still be manageable (and it was free so really the more the merrier).
I think Elise is going to have trouble with attendance at her birthday parties every year because her birthday falls at the very awkward time of right after school ends and right before Independence Day which seems to be a very popular time to go on vacation. Because of this, her two self-declared "best friends" Sara Jane and Audrey were both unable to come, which was a bit of a downer, but she didn't let it stop her from having a good time with her pals that were able to come: Max, Ayla, Sierra, Mateo, Myles and her cousin Abby. And of course both sets of grandparents came, as well as "Uncle" Mike. Our friend Heidi from college and her daughter Riley (4) also came up to
visit for the weekend and to party with Ellie on her big day. That was a fun surprise and it made the whole weekend special for Ellie, who absolutely loved having a live-in playmate for three days. On Saturday, Heidi and I took the girls to the Academy of Natural Sciences, an attraction I'd never taken Elise to before, and it was a big hit. The girls were both most excited about the live butterfly exhibit before we went, but then both ended up being fairly terrified when we were in the butterfly room ("I don't want them to land on me!!"). Then when they were asked at the end of the day what their favorite part of the museum was, it was, of course, the butterflies that made them cower and cry.
Anyway, back to the party. We were, of course, running a little late on Sunday morning and got up to the playground a little later than we'd planned, which unnecessarily stressed me out even more than I already was. But no one else seemed to be overly prompt either so it didn't make much difference in the end. The kids played on the (super awesome) playground for a while, then we gathered everyone together for parachute play (which basically meant that the Dads took turns dragging and swinging the kids, exhausting themselves but not necessarily the children), followed by lunch. Then the highlight of Ellie's day - Heidi and I made cake AND cupcakes 
(because she couldn't decide which she wanted). We even got a little creative and made purple (Ellie's favorite color) icing for the cupcakes. In general, everyone seemed to have a good time, no one got too injured and there were no tears so I'd say it was an overall success!
On Ellie's actual 3rd birthday on Tuesday, we took purple cupcakes to school for everyone, and then we picked her up early and told her we'd take her anywhere she wanted to go. She voted for the Please Touch Museum, so off we went for the rest of the afternoon. She had a blast on both
occasions and has already begun talking about how excited she is about her 4th birthday. Lucky for us, it's not for another 364 days. 
I think Elise is going to have trouble with attendance at her birthday parties every year because her birthday falls at the very awkward time of right after school ends and right before Independence Day which seems to be a very popular time to go on vacation. Because of this, her two self-declared "best friends" Sara Jane and Audrey were both unable to come, which was a bit of a downer, but she didn't let it stop her from having a good time with her pals that were able to come: Max, Ayla, Sierra, Mateo, Myles and her cousin Abby. And of course both sets of grandparents came, as well as "Uncle" Mike. Our friend Heidi from college and her daughter Riley (4) also came up to
visit for the weekend and to party with Ellie on her big day. That was a fun surprise and it made the whole weekend special for Ellie, who absolutely loved having a live-in playmate for three days. On Saturday, Heidi and I took the girls to the Academy of Natural Sciences, an attraction I'd never taken Elise to before, and it was a big hit. The girls were both most excited about the live butterfly exhibit before we went, but then both ended up being fairly terrified when we were in the butterfly room ("I don't want them to land on me!!"). Then when they were asked at the end of the day what their favorite part of the museum was, it was, of course, the butterflies that made them cower and cry.
Anyway, back to the party. We were, of course, running a little late on Sunday morning and got up to the playground a little later than we'd planned, which unnecessarily stressed me out even more than I already was. But no one else seemed to be overly prompt either so it didn't make much difference in the end. The kids played on the (super awesome) playground for a while, then we gathered everyone together for parachute play (which basically meant that the Dads took turns dragging and swinging the kids, exhausting themselves but not necessarily the children), followed by lunch. Then the highlight of Ellie's day - Heidi and I made cake AND cupcakes 
(because she couldn't decide which she wanted). We even got a little creative and made purple (Ellie's favorite color) icing for the cupcakes. In general, everyone seemed to have a good time, no one got too injured and there were no tears so I'd say it was an overall success!On Ellie's actual 3rd birthday on Tuesday, we took purple cupcakes to school for everyone, and then we picked her up early and told her we'd take her anywhere she wanted to go. She voted for the Please Touch Museum, so off we went for the rest of the afternoon. She had a blast on both
occasions and has already begun talking about how excited she is about her 4th birthday. Lucky for us, it's not for another 364 days. 
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