Emily and Jake (cousins) wanted to wish Carolyn a happy birthday (a few days late since they called on her actual birthday but we were all consumed with Birthday Party With Four Year Olds aka CHAOS) via Google video chat. Turns out Carolyn and Emily have the SAME Barbie mermaid book (a quality tale, to be sure ;)) and Papa read it to both girls via the computer screen as they both sat, miles away in matching Snow White dressup dresses. Sometimes, I love technology!
The Cake is always an important part of birthdays. My dad always decorated our birthday cakes when we were kids (mom took the classes, but it hurt her back to decorate... so dad did it) and one of the birthday traditions was the surprise each year of what would be on our cakes. And now the tradition lives on as he willingly continues to use his skills to enthrall a new generation. :) This year's theme was the Princess and the Frog.
Here Carolyn practices her "blowy face" in preparation for the second part of Birthday Tradition- the many pictures of Blowy Face for posterity. ;)
Here's the big reveal of the cake. Carolyn was pleased. :)
And here's the "real" blowy face. Four years old. Wow, that sure happened fast.
And now a perfect "cheese" smile for the photo album (and Nana's wall of birthday pictures of her grandkids). This is a new skill I greatly appreciate that seems to have come in around age 4. Age 3, many of her "cheese" pictures are a grotesque grimace with eyes staring off in another direction. This is a significant improvement.
I like putting some of these figurines on top of her cakes because then she gets to play with them afterwards. I knew she'd like the Princess and the Frog ones- and it did make it easier to decorate the cake this year! Last year's cake was a bit more involved...
I have a few pictures of Carolyn opening presents... but honestly that was my least favorite part of the whole day, because all that indulgence really doesn't do a 4-year-old (or any of us!) any favors. We are having some new lessons in understanding gratefulness and contentment. Christmas this year may be interesting- this is the first hint of the "gimmies" I've seen from Carolyn... and it wasn't pretty. But she did get some very nice things and will be kept busy and entertained for many hours! One of my favorite things about having a child with a summer birthday is that it comes approximately halfway through the year, so about the time she's really "ready" for some new toys, it's time for a birthday! Not that, of course, she really "needs" ANYTHING. This child is abundantly blessed. We just have to help her see it that way!
One of the coolest gifts of the day was this awesome bubble blower from Ammy and Papa. It really blows the best bubbles I've ever seen. Even blows bubbles inside bubbles. Super cool. It enthralled the kids last night at the fireworks!
And so that wraps up the Birthday. The next birthday in our family is coming soon! My nephew is due August 3!! :) Can't wait! Carolyn is so excited about the new cousin on the way. Right now we are dogsitting for Shelly and Bryan and Carolyn was telling me all about how Bailey was going to be a big sister when the baby comes out of Aunt Michelle's tummy and how we'll all go and see him and maybe Aunt Michelle will let Carolyn hold him, etc, etc. It's kinda cool how much more she "gets" now that she is older. I can't wait for her to be a big sister again. This whole process has (obviously) not worked out like we thought/hoped it would so far... and the summer looks like being taken up in healing and continued resolution of the situation, but my doctor says by fall, we should be clear to try again, and she was really positive about the potential for us to be able to conceive and carry another baby. Patience has never been one of my strongest points (is it for any of us?) especially in this area... but I am learning to be content and it's actually kind of nice to just enjoy the summer as the 4 of us... there are many days when I feel like my plate is very full already!
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