Three times the fun.

The night before her birthday, Joe was explaining the concept of the birthday wish to Madam. He told her she'd have to close her eyes, and make a wish, then blow out the candles. He also told her that the most important thing was to not tell anyone the wish, or it won't come true. He said "People will ask you what you wished for - you just tell them you can't say or it won't come true. Got it?" She told him she understood, waited a beat, then spit out "I'M GOING TO WISH FOR A REAL CINDERELLA DRESS!" (If you are Aunty Suz, or anyone she bragged to, you already know this story will have a happy ending.)

So the Twink requested chocolate birthday cake for her birthday breakfast. Who am I to deny her? We woke up, I frosted the cake, we lit the candles and sang happy birthday. She closed her eyes tight, and said out loud "I wish for a REAL Cinderella dress! The kind she wears to the ball! And also glass slippers and a new light blue headband!", then she attempted to blow out the candles with her eyes still closed. We really need to work on the concept of the secret wish.

The cake was delish. Observe -
Yes - the first picture in Jaynie's birthday post is of her brother. And he's wearing one of her tiara's to boot. Life can be so unfair.

Anyway- after we were all sugared up it was time for presents! Woohoo! The Birthday Girl and I hunted all around the house for them. She was sure it would be a "BIG pile!" and that they would be easy to spot. Little did she know they were in the attic. Heh.

So she's opening and opening and opening. She got a princess chair, some dress-up stuff, games, clothes, a lunchbox (was supposed to be saved for when we started sending her to preschool - oops!), posters, music, a movie... the list goes on and on. She really cleaned up.

While she's opening, her brother is tearing around the room getting into as much trouble as possible, and he's starting to smell a little ripe. So Joe takes him out to change his diaper, and I suggest she sit in her chair for some pictures while we wait for Daddy to come back. She decides that what she really needs for the pictures is a present to hold in her lap and randomly selects a package from her big bag-o-loot.

The tissue paper falls away, and she's left holding the "dress of her dreams". Without Joe to see. Without the video camera running. I swear she does this on purpose.

So after this huge intake of breath, eyes wide, mouth in a happy "O", she yells "My wish came TRUE!" It was priceless. I got her to say it again for the camera, but it wasn't quite the same.

Here's Cinderella in her ridiculously cute dress, and ridiculously ridiculous wig.
Maybe I will get her to take it off before she goes away to college. Maybe.


After presents we walked to the weekly market (or, as the locals call it - the mercado) to buy bananas and "anything she wanted" since it was her birthday. This means she got a new pair of striped knee-socks. That's my girl. We also bought these balloons for the party -


By the way - if you are the one who sent this dress-up outfit, along with the mermaid one, speak up! Don't just send eBay purchases to our house without alerting us first. You know what happens when you don't take credit for cool presents? We take credit for them. Hee.

After shopping there was lunch, nap, frantic running around by me, and then.....






PARTY TIME! (Yes - I realize it's another picture of Jonas. Trust me, there will be more of the birthday girl later.)

We had a costume party at the park. If that doesn't say "good time", I don't know what does. We had costumed kids, bubbles, funny sunglasses...



Cupcakes...



(See - this is why I let the kids decorate them themselves. I could have never topped this. It's a work of pastry art.)

And was basically a rip-roaring good time. Here are some of the birthday girl herself...


Wearing her birthday sticker.


Looking anywhere but at the camera.


Showing me her chocolate teeth. (Really - vanilla is so much more photogenic. Why does my kid have to be a chocoholic?)


By the time we left we were all wiped out. Home to open all the presents (and wow did we get some great ones - thank you everybody!), have a quick dinner (ham and cheese quesadillas anyone?), and right to bed. For everybody. Seriously - I was in bed at 9pm and glad of it. Parties really take it out of me.

Happy happy birthday, my Twink. I still can't believe you're three.