We celebrated Ellie's 3rd birthday with a backyard bash. It was perfect...just a bunch of 2 and 3 year old little girls running around the backyard, squealing and having a great time. We had a Disney Princess Bounce House - which was even more of a success than last year...they are more coordinated now. Jack and Cheryl (daycare providers) came to help celebrate even though that's like asking them to go to work on the weekend, and the kids loved seeing them. The kids sort of look at them weird, they've never seen them outside of their home! We drug out all of Ellie's outside toys, even the one's she hasn't played with in a while. That was the smartest thing because that way all the kids had something to play with and no one was fighting.
It was nice to get a chance to chat with some of the parents from daycare. Even though Ellie has almost been there for 3 years, most of the time the parents are rushing in, dropping off, telling Jack and Cheryl if there are any specific instructions, then rushing out the door to work. Or rushing in to pick up their darling children, finding out how their child behaved (you don't have to ask if your child is in the corner when you get there - you already know!) and then Jack and Cheryl are booting us outside so they can have peace and quiet for a few hours before they do it again! So most of us parents don't know each other that well. I think the funniest part of the party was when someone set their cup of coke down on the ground, little Eleanor who lives next door took the small shovel she was playing with and dipped it in the coke, then slurped the coke off. She did this a couple of times before anyone stopped her - we were too busy laughing at her using the shovel like a spoon! She's great because she is quietly mischevious, whereas our darling daughter announces everything she is going to do. Maybe next year Eleanor will be announcing what she's about to do too.
Thanks to Brant we had a delicious feast of cheeseburgers, hotdogs and brats hot off the grill. They were gobbled up as quick as they came off the fire! The poor guy had to stand there and cook for quite a while, but secretly I think he liked doing it. At least I hope so...I made Ellie a Princess cake with the help of good old Betty Crocker. I knew I wanted to do something special for the cake...I always insist on making her cake instead of getting a store bought one or letting someone else help. Don't know why, but it's kind of a big deal to me. So this year I googled (I love how that's now a verb) "princess cake" and found a "how-to" video on making a princess cake. You basically construct the skirt of a princess dress with cake and frosting, then stick a barbie in the center. It's easier than it sounds, but I should be honest and say that there were many times when I stood in the kitchen and said "what the heck am I doing? why did I even attempt this?" You use 2 box cake mixes, and are supposed to bake 3x8" round cakes and then put the rest of the mix into an oven proof bowl. Well I only have 9" round cake pans and I thought that wouldn't be a problem. The only reason that's a problem is because then the skirt isn't tall enough (b/c it's too wide) to get the Barbie all the way down in the center. Poor Brant got sent to the store 20minutes before the party started. I told him to look for a shorter Barbie...as if he was familiar with the heigth of a "normal" Barbie. He suggested sawing off Barbie's legs at the knee...I almost dissolved into tears. He had no idea that the Barbie I was using was one that my grandfather (the one who is sick - see previous post) found on a walk, brought home, cleaned up and then gave to me. So off to the store he went. Billy also called about this time and said he was on his way over. I sent him to the store too, although I thought he'd be going to a different store. Apparently the two men in my life wound up at the same Walgreens, muttering about how ridiculous this was. But, they did bring home another Barbie...by that time I had managed to use enough pink frosting to make the original Barbie work. Oh well - now Ellie has another doll.
There were 2 other people taking photo's at the party and I hope they'll send us some of their pictures. It's so hard to take pictures of these kids and actually have them looking at you! This last one's my favorite of Ada and Ellie...
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