I cannot believe my little baby is four years old and, on top of that, going off to preschool. My mind simply can't handle it sometimes - I listen to her tell me long, complicated stories and my mind often wanders, thinking back to the days when all of her words came out like questions. She'd sing-song, "tabub"(taking approximately 3 seconds to say the word and ending with a higher pitch than she started, thus creating the question feel) for bathtub and say her A-B-C's with great skill, yet little clarity. Gosh, I have to stop thinking about it and just get on with the party stories.
We decided on a 50s theme this year. We always have a theme, and I've learned that there aren't that many that aren't cheesy, but that my young child really understands. While she loved dressing up and all the decorations, she clearly had no idea what any of it meant. For example, we went to Party Galaxy to get balloons and chose a theme-matching Mylar jukebox. Bailey thought it was really cool, but kept telling people how much she loved the "juicebox." Oh well!! Here's a couple of pictures of her when she first woke up and then waiting patiently for guests to arrive.
I was so impressed that lots of party goers dressed the part - Jason may have threatened people with not letting them into the party if they didn't dress up. I'll point out Jason's Elvis sideburns - he couldn't keep them on all the time because Nolan really didn't like them. He didn't cry, but he would look at Jason like he was petrified. He did the same with me and my glasses. I guess babies don't like change. Smile!!
This was our first party to invite friends. While Bailey always has a built-in friend with cousin Anna, we opted to select just a few church and/or school friends to join in the fun. I was a little worried about the whole, "two's company, three's a crowd (or four or five)" thing, but they did pretty well. Of course, being 3 or 4 brings some inevitable breakdowns - Bailey not at all excluded - but nothing too devastating. Here are the girls:
And, the only boy - Brody - who REALLY did not want me to take his picture!!
My only disappointment was that I didn't have her BIG present ready for her to enjoy on her birthday. Jason and I got her a playhouse for the backyard, with every intention of putting it together for a big reveal on her birthday. However, the big proposal for work consumed the majority of my time for the past few weeks, so I was unavailable to work with Jason on the assembly. So, instead, I wrapped a picture of the playhouse in a box for her to open. Three guesses how that went over....I think that's an abstract concept not yet understood by a child. She looked at it and said, "Mommy, this isn't anything that I love!!" You have to imagine a disappointed look on her face. So, I said, "What do you think it is?" She said, "Some picture." So, I had to explain to her that it was really a playhouse that daddy and I would build for her the next day. Ehhh....she wasn't going to appreciate it until it was assembled.
And, here's the aftermath....lots of stuff strewn everywhere (this is cleaned up significantly - didn't get one of the total destruction!) and Bailey trying to sneak another lick of cake frosting at about 10 p.m.
Next time, you'll also get to hear about Bailey's adventures in preshool!
And, the only boy - Brody - who REALLY did not want me to take his picture!!
We had soda shop treats - hamburgers, hot dogs, old-style coke bottles and orange drink, floats, etc. We had a banana split-making contest for the kids and a sack race in the back yard. I wanted to have a dance contest, but there simply wasn't time....or space in my house or yard, for that matter!! I told Jason that, before we have another party, I really need a bigger house. Yeah....we'll see about that one.
Oh, I almost forgot the biggest excitement. OUR SMOKE ALARM WENT OFF DURING THE PARTY!! And, let me tell you that this alarm does not make a little "woo, woo" sound. No, it's deafening. Now, this may not seem like that big of a deal.....if we knew the code to turn it off. Yes, we've lived in the house for over 5 years and don't know the code. The alarm has gone off twice before - both times when something I was cooking in the oven started dripping - and we searched through all the manuals left for us by the builder and didn't have any information. Both times, we ended up pushing buttons for no less than 30 minutes before we finally hit something that worked. We called the alarm company and they said that only the builder would be able to help us. We never called the builder because, ya know, it's not like the alarm would ever go off again, right??!! Well, this time, the offense was just the grill outdoors and people going in and out of the house. And, fortunately, a group of 4 or 5 men were able to disarm it somehow fairly quickly. I was in the process of conducting sack races at the time, but my mind was madly thinking about what to do with 30 people if the alarm was to keep sounding for the remainder of the party.
Bailey got lots of neat stuff but, just like any little kid, was in "next present" mode and didn't really try to figure out what anything was until well after the party had ended. So, to everyone there, she loves everything and has littered our house with every piece of every toy she received. And, Nolan has tried to eat every piece of every toy she received!!
My only disappointment was that I didn't have her BIG present ready for her to enjoy on her birthday. Jason and I got her a playhouse for the backyard, with every intention of putting it together for a big reveal on her birthday. However, the big proposal for work consumed the majority of my time for the past few weeks, so I was unavailable to work with Jason on the assembly. So, instead, I wrapped a picture of the playhouse in a box for her to open. Three guesses how that went over....I think that's an abstract concept not yet understood by a child. She looked at it and said, "Mommy, this isn't anything that I love!!" You have to imagine a disappointed look on her face. So, I said, "What do you think it is?" She said, "Some picture." So, I had to explain to her that it was really a playhouse that daddy and I would build for her the next day. Ehhh....she wasn't going to appreciate it until it was assembled.
She also got a new big-girl bike, which she loves but is having to get used to since it is so much bigger than her other bike.
And, here's the aftermath....lots of stuff strewn everywhere (this is cleaned up significantly - didn't get one of the total destruction!) and Bailey trying to sneak another lick of cake frosting at about 10 p.m.
So, here's the segue into the playhouse-building section of this blog....
Jason and I knew this playhouse thing wasn't going to be an easy task. Despite the fact that the box said "Two-hour Assembly!!", we weren't naive. We don't have a strong track record for putting things together, or at least without yelling and tears involved. So, we got all ready on Sunday and settled in for a day-long assembly adventure.
Here's what we had done by the two-hour mark (or 3....it's all a blur now):
And, 527 hours later:
It may be slightly crooked and we may or may not have had to cut some pieces to make them fit, but it was made with love. And, she loves it!! As you can see, she has moved some of her bedroom toys into the new house. The side in this picture actually has the front door with the cute shutters and where I'm going to put a plaque that says, "Cox Clubhouse." I may get that done in 2011.
I don't want to leave out little Nolan! He has really been active lately. He is pulling up on furniture, crawling super fast, eating all kinds of new and exciting things, and learning to play simple games with Bailey, mommy and daddy. I love this time in a baby's development when they are really getting a personality and sense of humor. His favorite game right now is "Mommy needs the binky." He thinks it's heeelarious to shove his binky in my mouth and then try to get it back. Yes, I know - gross. But, it's my kid so it's not gross to me! He also goads Bailey into chasing him all the time. It's so cute. And, while we are not big fans of this activity, he loves it when Bailey picks him up and carries him around under his arm-pits. His little legs just swing back and forth and he has a big smile on his face. Once again, we try to discourage this behavior with Bailey, but she gets such a positive reaction from him that she just keeps going for it day after day.
Sorry for the wee wee shot. Oh, yeah...and he STILL has no teeth. Go figure.
Next time, you'll also get to hear about Bailey's adventures in preshool!
K
