So on Sunday July 24th (Vin’s birthday! Happy birthday, babe!!!!) we had Yaya’s birthday party. As in previous years, we had invited the neighbors and our friends and planned a cook-out. The house was clean and there was a bunch of cooking to be done! Mandy and I had stayed up assembling Yaya’s present the night before (I hate assembling toys!) and Papa went to play baseball in the morning.
[[image:2011_0724_party02.jpg:Birthday girl in her jammies:center:0]]
Mandy had balloon duty and inflated a bunch of helium balloons for the party while I cooked.
[[image:2011_0724_party01.jpg:Birthday girl gets a balloon!:center:0]]
When the guests arrived, it started to rain so we had to move the party indoors (cue scrambling to clear the counter of stuff so food can be put out). Luckily Vin did manage to grill the burgers and hot dogs before the deluge started. The uncouth girl made a beeline for the presents and could not be stopped from opening them:
[[image:2011_0724_party03.jpg:Yaya, Jeanne and Natalie and their awesome gifts:center:0]]
[[image:2011_0724_party04.jpg:Rip the paper!:center:0]]
[[image:2011_0724_party05.jpg:Dolly’s eyes close when you lie her down:center:0]]
[[image:2011_0724_party07.jpg:Paintbrushes! Stickers!:center:0]]
[[image:2011_0724_party08.jpg:Tricycle!:center:0]]
This was what Mandy and I struggled to put together the night before. But Yaya loved it! Not as much as she loved the paints apparently. We had to convince her to come blow out the candle on her cake – she was so enamored of the idea of painting.
[[image:2011_0724_party09.jpg:In her painting smock with her cake:center:0]]
[[image:2011_0724_party10.jpg:Papa helps Yaya blow out the candle:center:0]]
Anyone want to guess whether she ate any of her cake? Tasted it even? You would be right. She didn’t even have the tiniest morsel of this or any of the other cakes she’s been presented with. This was another Graeter’s ice cream cake. But it didn’t go to waste, do not worry. 😉
Most of the guests had left by then so we allowed her to begin painting. Here she is working on her very first masterpiece:
[[image:2011_0724_party11.jpg:I love to paint!:center:0]]
Mandy extended her stay to Monday morning so we got to hang out that evening as well (Yay!!!!!).
[[image:2011_0724_party12.jpg:Playing with new building blocks from Aunty Mandy with Aunty Mandy:center:0]]
Bedtime came fairly early for all of us. We were exhausted! Thanks to everyone who came to the party, brought/sent the girl gifts, cards, and birthday wishes. She had another good haul of presents this year so thanks to all!! And to close, our little prima donna says:
[[image:2011_0724_party06.jpg:Byeeee thanks for coming!! I’m three years old!!!!!:center:0]]
