“This big!!!” is how Eliza describes herself now-a-days as she stretches her arms high into the sky. Make no mistake, being three is big. It may just be bigger for me than it is for her because, after all, it is hard to believe that my baby is three.
This was, by all accounts, a three alarm fire children’s party weekend. Evan and I hosted one for Sophia and we attended two others. To say that I would very much like a weekend to unwind is an understatement. I have vivid visions of pillows and blankets, lazy mornings, and fluffy buttermilk pancakes.
For the first time ever, Sophia had a clear vision for what kind of a party she wanted. “A mermaid party with a chocolate and vanilla cake, all our friends, and Alex…” said Sophia when we first spoke to her. I haven’t done too many themed child parties but decided that even I could tackle this one. Purple tablecloths, starfish, sea-shells, and pink and gold confetti set the stage for the tablescapes. I felt that though pretty, the sea-themed decorations would, on their own, will not have enough height to really stand out in the room. We decided that purple/blue and white hydrangea would add height and delicate femininity.
Hydrangeas, confetti, and balloons were mere decorations, but the real stars of the party were those who made time to come and celebrate Sophia’s BIG 5! Eliza, as we can see here, did not suffer greatly as the birthday sister. Not only did she get a few small birthday sister presents, but she was loved on by her aunt and uncle.
That’s a wrap. See you next year when we’re shifting to much smaller, more exclusive celebrations for the kids’ birthdays.
Long ago, I dreamed about birthday celebrations with balloons, a colorful cake, and a carousel. I don’t remember what my own birthday celebrations were like when I was young, but the dream I had for myself, Evan and I made a reality for Eliza. Our friends and family came together to celebrate Eliza’s big 2 and enjoy the glorious day that was Saturday. Until recently, Eliza had been very nervous about sitting on a pony while riding a carousel preferring to sit on a bench. That all changed on Saturday probably after she saw how much fun her cousins were having riding the different animals on the carousel.
Some details about the party: we held it at 10 AM to try and beat the heat. We served breakfast and cake/desserts choosing to sing Happy Birthday earlier on so as to not ruin anyone’s appetite for lunch. The venue had a carousel and mini golf providing ample entertainment for kids of all ages. Since the venue was so close to Philadelphia’s chinatown, we served fortune cookies with a custom fortune as our favors and the kids got those and a few other trinkets in a asian take-out container.
Eliza loved her party and Sophia carried off the role of the birthday sister with aplomb. In fact, Sophia has been a supportive birthday sister for a whole week as small celebrations and birthday presents trickled in for Eliza.
We spent the afternoon of the birthday party decompressing from all the festivities with a cold beverage and plenty of presents in hand.
It was hard to beat the excitement and fun of Saturday but we came close with a trip to a local farm tractor ride and all. We picked blueberries, peaches, and even some apricots. The girls loved the outdoors and we’re looking forward to making peach cobbler.
