The Girls Birthdays!

This month is flying by so FAST! It's been a whirlwind of sports, dance events, redecorating, and keeping up with everything in between. It's also the quadruple whammy month...3 birthdays and our anniversary (not counting my Dad's birthday & April Fools Day!) Yes, April Fools day is one of my favorite holidays, and I only had time to play one prank this year:(

This week I have been finishing up some decorating, mainly in my living room. Pictures are for another post. This post is all about the girls! A part of me thinks its crazy busy and another part of me likes that I had both their party's back to back. I had Sophia's on Thursday morning, and Aubrie's tonight. I like having preschoolers on weekdays, while the older ones are in school, and Aubrie wanted her party to be when the movie Rio came out. They fell on the same week.

Sophia had been asking about her birthday before Christmas. For several months now she has been saying she is no longer "this many", (as she hold up her three consecutive finger starting from her pinkie), but is now "this many"( as she hold up her three fingers in the middle). It makes us laugh because it does show that she is older now that she can progress from one "3" to the next! However, she thinks one is more than the other. The past two weeks she has been telling everyone that her birthday is "April 16th, and she is going to be "this many" (holding up 4 fingers)! She has been so anxious for her party. Last week we went to the store and bought her Strawberry Shortcake Invitations and she helped me by putting some names on the front. She was so excited to drop them in the mailbox!

Her birthday party was this Thursday. She invited 8 friends. We had it from 11 to 12:30, so she could still get her nap in:) Thursday morning she was up and dressed early. She made her bed and cleaned her room before the kids were off to school. For the next 2 and a half hours she sat around asking when her friends were going to come.

All dressed and ready!

The Party Favors, that included homemade Strawberry Jam!

The Birthday Cake she had been eyeing at Walmart for almost a year.

The party plates she had been asking me for every time we go to Party City!

Her first friend to show was Hattie. She was so excited, and she started to open her gift as soon as she handed it to her. I quickly confiscated it and told her she had to wait until everyone was there.

As the kids funneled in, they all played in the backyard. It was hard roping them in to eat. Lunch was simple: PB&J's (chicken salad on croissants for the Mom's), grapes, cheese and crackers, carrots, strawberries and Capri Suns (waters for the Mom's) all on Strawberry Shortcake plates! This year my Mom was able to be there and help. It was nice! After lunch we played a few games. The first game was "stick the jewel on Strawberry Shortcakes crown". It wasn't hard to rope them in for that game. They all patiently waited for their turns.

After that , we had a simple bean bag toss and then went swimming. It wasn't very hot, so most of them had fun swimming in the hot tub. Two of the girls tried out the slide and diving board. After swimming, we opened gifts, sang "Happy Birthday" and had cake. Sophia LOVED opening her gifts. She got some fun things, and couldn't wait to open them.

After cake, all her friends went home and I set up her new princess tent, where she took a 3 hour nap. Guess the party wore her out.

Tomorrow is her birthday. Ben already came home with one of her presents Tuesday night, a new black kitten. She named him Buddy, and treats him like a baby. She puts him in her baby portacrib, and covers it up with blankets. All the kids LOVE the new kitten, especially Aubrie, who was the first to spot him at Pestmart. She offered to buy him with her own money, but we refused. Ben couldn't stop thinking about him, because he is a sucker for kittens, and had to find some excuse to buy him. Aubrie already has a phone coming to her for her birthday, so Sophia was the next option. Aubrie is a little sad that it's not her cat, but I think she also realizes the benefit of saving a hundred dollars and still getting to hold/sleep/play with it!

Tonight was Aubrie's party. She already had the whole thing planned out before the cruise. Originally I told her she wouldn't be having a party for her 11th birthday, but since we are moving her to a new school next year, I decided to let her have one. She got to invite her 3 closest friends for a fun night! We started at the nail salon. The girls had fun picking out florescent colors for their toes, and enjoyed a full pedicure. They kept ranting about how nice the massage and hot towels felt, and how ticklish it was when they scrubbed their heals. I just sat there looking at Aubrie with her friends, wondering where the time went. She is getting so old.

After the pedicures, we rushed to make it to the movie theatre, where they watched Rio! It was a cute show, with some funny characters. After stuffing themselves with popcorn and soda, they were too full for dinner, so we diverted back to the house for some Wii and swimming. The girls started in the hot tub, and slowly made it to the pool. Once Boston got home from his football game, they all started playing tag in the pool. All her friends get along with Boston. They worked up an appetite and ate pizza around the fire pit. They then hit the trampoline while Ben and I cleaned up. Then she opened gifts and we sang Happy Birthday.

We realized we didn't have any birthday candles, so we grabbed a regular candle and put it on her cake. They thought that was funny!

Now the girls are watching bits and pieces of different movies downstairs (the benefits of Apple TV). I'm sitting her wondering how long until they fall asleep. We have a lot going on tomorrow and I need to get some sleep. Of course, I'm happy that she is having a great time. Aubrie is a good girl and surrounds herself with good friends, and is good at staying away from drama. She is so innocent compared to a lot of girls her age. Thank Heavens! I don't want her growing up any faster than she has to. I still can't believe that she will be 11!

Well, tomorrow we will be having the family celebration for Sophia's birthday. We just hung streamers in her doorway and tomorrow starts another round of cake and presents. I think I need to work out extra hard next week, but it's not going to happen with the McGee's coming into town! This month is hopeless for diet and exercise!

Ok, I'm adding to this a day later. Aubrie had a fun party/sleepover. They didn't stay up terribly late. (About Midnight). They woke up to waffles:)

Sophia woke up to this!

I can't believe she is 4!!! Boo hoo! She had a blast at her family party and opening her presents. Lots of "Strawberry" clothes she had her eyes on at Gymboree.

Ethan modeling her new strawberry skirt!

Boston gave Sophia all his silly bands!

And gave Aubrie one of his Tilly gift Cards! He is so sweet and generous!