The Birth Day

Yesterday Miss Madeleine turned 3! Since we had already celebrated with cake and ice cream and presents earlier this month while grandparents were visiting, and again on Friday with a couple of friends who have kids whose birthdays are around the same time, we decided to just keep things simple. 

I don't know why we bother having more than just a "whatever you wish" kind of day for kids' birthdays at all, 'cause this was just perfect! When she woke up, I offered to make whatever she wished for breakfast. She couldn't think of anything special until I started listing them--and crepes with "chocolate butter" (Nutella) won out.

After Zumba I took an ultra-fast shower so Madie could have a bubble bath. This was followed by Dumbo--movies in the morning are rare at this house since they tend to cause *ahem* slightly less than perfect behavior the rest of the day. But today she was a dream.

When Dad got home he threw some meatballs together and pesto and took her out to the pool while I formed the meatballs and got the rest of dinner started. This was a big day because Madie, using her waterwings and her kick board, swam without holding on to anyone for the first time ever! (Aside from being in an innertube, which I don't count.)

For dinner we had pasta with pesto and cheese and meatballs. Madie was born almost a vegetarian, but meatballs are the exception. She loves them! And when they're followed by chocolate ice cream they're even better! 

While we were out shopping I told her she could pick out some flowers for herself. I love getting flowers--I mean, who doesn't?! Of course, she picked the pinkest ones she could find. I love stock. It smells so good.

She spent some time post-supper doing airplane rides with Dad while I worked on finishing the cape her father told her I would make. Thanks, Mike. ;) She asked me a while ago to put a button on her hooded towel so she could have a proper cape (never mind the lady-bug face and antennae) and I told her no, but that I might make her a cape some day. Mike said, "Yeah! Maybe for your birthday!" Well, I guess she remembered that because at Zumba she told a friend of mine that I was going to make her a pink cape today so she could be Belle. Hmmm... I've never made a cape, nor did I have the material (so I thought).

Turns out making capes isn't too difficult. I had an old dress from a friend of hers that had a tear in the waist that I wasn't planning on fixing so I tore it apart and got to work. The only thing we had to run out for was some beribboned bias tape. I think it turned out fairly well! She didn't get it until this morning so we took it out for a spin in the cool, slightly foggy weather.

Finn is thinking something along the lines of, "I really don't care that she has a cape. Let's keep moving."

Move we did! We spent pretty much the whole time running away from the beast. That was fine with me since at a run she can keep up with me at a decent pace. Otherwise I may as well be sitting on the couch.

She looks like some wealthy orphan in a Charles Dickens novel. 

We saw this snail doing some awesome moves on this twig. Honestly, I don't know how it was staying on the thing. I have better pictures of just the snail, but ya know, I didn't know how interested anyone else was to see them. Madie and I loved it though!

I asked her last night at bed time if she'd had a good birthday. "YEP!" she cried and ran off to her room. And that was even before the cape!