It Was a Great Day for a Birthday...

When I have said my evening prayer,

And my clothes are folded on the chair,

And mother switches off the light,

I'll still be three years old tonight.

But, from the very break of day,

Before the children rise and play,

Before the greenness turns to gold,

Tomorrow, I'll be four years old.

Four kisses when I wake,

Four candles on my cake.

M. Meyerkort

Now, this was a great birthday...it was the first birthday where Ava Belle actually got it...none of it manufactured by myself...it was pure excitement from the moment her eyes opened and she jumped out of bed to show me how she'd grown over night, to the moment her head hit the pillow that evening and she asked if she would still be four in the morning and if that meant it would still be her birthday. It wasn't all about gifts, it wasn't all about 'me-firsts' (even though there was certainly a bit of both), it was simply all about celebrating her young and happy life. Her teacher did an exceptional job of helping us set the tone for her birthday....I stayed with her at school while a dear friend kept Emmett, and I think that was gift enough to each of us! We have very little time together without the company of her younger brother (not that I'm complaining - my 20 mo old is delightful, but, let me repeat...he is a 20 mo old boy) it was just really sweet to have an opportunity to soak each other up without much distraction. A special day for my special little girl.

Ava Belle requested Strawberry Cupcakes for her birthday party at school.....they were pretty yummy....

...but, a busy birthday meant there wasn't time to make a second cake for that evening...thank goodness Daddy saved the day with a store bought cake....my puritanical self gave in.......

...as you can see, she didn't care that it wasn't homemade...

she was so thrilled about the birthday song and all those candles....