Elle Turns 5!

After weeks of planning and anticipation... We finally celebrated Elle's 5th Birthday!! She has been making all sorts of plans, and I was worried that the day may not live up to her expectations... but she kept saying -- "This is my favorite day!" so, I think it turned out alright.

In the morning she woke up and got dressed in her white button up blouse and wool jumper -- and had asked us all to also come to her birthday in nice clothes ("You can wear one of your black things Mama" -- I don't fit into many clothes these days. ) -- and we were each handed a "ticket" (a small plastic heart) to come to her party.

She saw all the presents I had laid out and the banner I had hung up -- and oohed and aahed.
She had also made a little sign where she printed:
"Happy Birthday turning 5" which she taped to a big stick from a pine tree we found at the park. and set it by the front door "so that people could see there was someone having a birthday in here!" (sad I don't have a picture of this!)

Then we had pancakes and fruit shake for breakfast. Nathan sang all the birthday songs he could think of and told her the story of when she was born.

Opened presents.

Then the girls played with the presents -- Elle got a music box from mom, and a Paris Eiffel tower (which we got in Paris) from dad, a pony from Ava... and some other nice things from grandma and grandpa.

Went to violin class (which took most of the day -- it is a long trek -- and the trains run further apart on Saturday) -- where the group class played Happy Birthday on their violins and cellos -- and sang 'Feliz Cumpleanos' to the birthday girl.



When we got home it was time to make the cake, and then -- THE PINATA! The girls were so excited about this! (I know, don't laugh, Elle and Ava and I made it -- It's a dinosaur egg).












We played some other games to Elle's request: Bowling -- with a plastic bowling set we have, and dance party! But when I started dancing with my big belly swinging around in front of me, she called it off... I'm serious.

Time for Elle's dinner: Asparagus soup, salad and fresh bread from the bakery, with butter.







The girls made necklaces and bracelets with a new bead kit Grandma sent.


Then CAKE. Elle wanted M&M's and whipped cream... and chocolate cake. It was pretty delicious. And a very fun day.

What a girl! We love our Elle -- but she's growing up way way too fast. Here is a little review of her over the years!

Day 1

1 year old

2 years old


3 years old

4 years old

5 years old!!

Pumpkin tree...

Later with just our family we carved a little pumpkin --
with a Christmas tree on it! Bet you've never seen that before!

Our Halloween

We had a little Halloween party of sorts. We invited our friends the Rasmussen's to come have a "Spooky Lunch" with snake sandwiches (long baguette with a snake face), blood soup with beetles (tomato soup with black olives), chips and spiderweb dip (guacamole with a sourcream spiderweb on top), and eyeballs (deviled eggs)!

Then the kids trick or treated down our hallway,

knocking on the doors to the bedrooms and bathrooms, where each of us adults manned the doors and gave out treats.
We decorated cookies, and ate all of them! When our guests left and we closed the door, Elle flopped on the floor and sighed, "Whew. That was FUN!"

When your daughter asks to fly...

It all started as a little conversation over breakfast.
Elle: "Mom, do people ever try to fly?"
Amy: "Sure" -- and then I expound upon the ways that people have made wings for themselves and flying machines, some that work, some that don't. Hang-gliding, parachuting, airplanes, etc.
Elle: "Well, that's what I'm going to do for my birthday" (everyday it is a new idea for her birthday!)
"This is what we need to do. I need some balloons. The kind that have the different kind of stuff in them that you were telling me about, the kind that is lighter than air?"
Amy: "Helium?"
Elle: "right -- helium. Maybe 8 or so."
Amy interupts: "I'm not sure I know where to get those."
Elle: "Oh, mom, we have lots of time. You can just call around and ask and find the word in Spanish and find out... then we need a rope. Do we have lots of yarn?"
Amy: "No, we don't have any."
Elle: " That's ok, we'll get it at the store and we will braid it together so that it is really long, in rainbow colors. Then on my birthday, we will tie it to my waist and put the balloons on my arms and go to the park or somewhere where there aren't too many people or cars."
Amy: "I'm not sure, that we will be able to do that because...well..."
Elle: "Don't worry Mom! It is going to work out, should we go to the store right now to get the yarn?"

I tried to gently squash the hopes of that particular activity on Elle's birthday, but she has it all planned out and will not be deterred! Who am I to tell her she can't fly? I remember when she was a baby -- and we saw the moon in the sky one night and she earnestly reached for it and asked me if we could reach the moon?
What is a mom supposed to say? She has so much belief and hope.
I guess I wouldn't put it past her to fly or reach the moon.

Ava Means Bird

We were walking home from the bus stop, and Ava saw some small brown birds on the sidewalk. She started to worry "oooohhh. Those little birds are looking for their mama! Where is their mama?" And she looked up to the trees and sky, searching for their mom. They were not baby birds... but because they were little -- she assumed that they were in need of a mom. After looking around and deciding there was no mom in sight, she said "I know. I will be their mama. I will take care of them." Another pause. "As soon as I turn into a bird, I will be their mama."