Annie's 4th Birthday

Annie turned 4 this month. We stretched the celebrations out over almost a whole week. On her actual birthday we started off the day with pumpkin pancakes with the spray whipped cream and syrup. She's been asking for this breakfast for her birthday for about a month. I set the table before I went downstairs to run. I put the red "You are special" plate at Annie's spot. When I came upstairs, James was sitting at his spot with the red plate moved in front of him. He looked at me and said defiantly, "My birthday!" I couldn't get him to say happy birthday to Annie until about 5 that night. I think I read the A Birthday for Frances book to the wrong child. Annie was so excited for James on his birthday.

Sadly, Brad had to leave early that day, so he wasn't there for the daytime festivities. After breakfast we went to the museum and Annie got to choose to go on the train or the merry-go-round. She initially wanted the merry-go-round, but then reconsidered because "James would probably like the train better, so let's go on the train". Love it! She's really been a peach lately. Brad and I both feel like she's really turned a corner as far as behavior. She still has opinions, but she's pretty amenable to being obedient, and just very sweet with us and with James. It's been a pleasure to be her mom lately (I've always loved being her mom, but it's so much easier when she's so good)!

After lunch she got to go to pre-school. There probably couldn't have been a better birthday present than having her birthday be on a pre-school day. She adores her classmates and teachers. She took in pink cupcakes to share.


That night we had pesto pasta and presents. Michael joined us, which is always a highlight for the kids. We gave Annie a bike for her birthday! I think it's a toss up who was more excited about that gift - Annie or me. She's been a little too big for her trike for a few months now, and this bike should transition well to when she legitimately rides a bike (currently it has training wheels on it).

 

We had a friend party a few days later. I kept it VERY low key. We ordered Little Caeser's pizza, had oranges and carrots, and popcorn and watched a movie. We ate a pink strawberry cake (nasty! in my opinion, but she loved it) with lemon frosting and real strawberries on top. 

We love Annie! She is such a joy! Like I said, I feel like she's in a particularly easy stage right now and it's blissful to me. She is a sponge. She listens to everything we say and absorbs it. She has a very sweet testimony. She is always full of funny things to say. My current favorite came a day or two after her birthday celebrations. We just finished reading her Charlotte's Web and at dinner one night she said, "I wish we could have a pig. But not a pig and a spider because then the spider would save the pig, and I like bacon!"