Lizzy's Birthday

For Lizzy's birthday she wanted cupcakes. So we made 40-50 of them to take to her kindy. FYI, making that many homemade cupcakes and frosting takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r! Next year I'll take suckers to pass out at her school. But she had a blast helping make them.

Barbie gift from Olivia (friend that lives next door).

The big surprise. Lizzy's first bike!

Our house was a cupcake factory on Sunday...we grossly underestimated the time involved with this. Lizzy loved decorating the cupcakes though. She actually got pretty good at it.


Lizzy Lou turned the big 4 yesterday. I mentioned to her about a week ago that her b-day was coming up...to which she replied 'presents?' I said yes, and sort of hom-hummed the question of whether she would want a party or not, or just a quiet b-day at home (of course I had no preference =), to which she said, "mom, I just want presents and cupcakes." Good enough for me! Except after having made roughly 50 homemade cupcakes, planning a party would have probably been easier!

Lizzy had a special day though. They sang to her at school and she got to sit in the b-day chair and basically be a queen for a day. I brought the cupcakes in and the kids were pretty thrilled. Grace hid my camera, which I couldn't find until returning home, so we didn't get pictures there unfortunately. After dinner we just had a quiet little party at home with Lizzy's new little friend Olivia from next door and her parents. Lizzy seemed quite pleased with her gifts. Of course the highlight was her very first bike...pink and barbie and with a snazzy little bell. She'd been wanting one for a while, especially since her little friend next door has one that she is constantly riding. Though we forgot to get a helmet, and based on her bike wreck today, I'd say she needs one! Don't worry, she's okay, just really in need of practice and understanding properly how the brakes work.

On a sentimental note, it's hard to believe that she is already 4 and such a big girl. I don't know exactly when it happened...this growing up/big girl thing...losing the baby fat, her cheeks becoming less and less round, choosing her own clothes, telling me how exactly to do her hair, etc. A part of me feels a little sad, a little mournful, that my baby Lizzy is gone, but mostly I am excited to see her evolving as a person, finding her own way. And anyone who knows Lizzy knows that she is her own woman (well, little girl for now), and already has some strong opinions about her likes and dislikes. I love her fiestiness and independence, although at times they are maddening to deal with as a parent, but I wouldn't trade it, it's part of what makes her strong. I love her tenderness and devotion to those she loves. I love her concern for others and their feelings. I love that she is a friendly child who never hesitates to introduce herself and make a new friend. Most of all I love her because she is mine.

Happy Birthday Lizzy, we love you. You are our little princess, now and always.

Lizzy the escape artist

Here's a story to brighten your day. Most days Lizzie gets up at 7:00 or so, and comes in to wake us up and get breakfast. This morning Jenny rolled over and poked me at 7:30 and said it was time to get up, and I figured Lizzie must have been tired and let us sleep in some. So I showered and sat down for breakfast, and Grace started crying. I got Grace up and she sat with me while I ate, and at about 8:00 I thought I'd go check on Lizzie and make sure she was ready for school. I found her bedroom door open, and her not in her bed. Some days she decides that she doesn't want to go to school, and has a few places around the house that she hides. So I checked her closet and mine behind the clothes, under beds and behind the couch, and she was nowhere to be found. At this point I asked Jenny if she had seen Lizzie, and tried the front door. It was unlocked. We nearly had a heart attack, and I handed Jenny the baby while I went to see where the Lizzie might have gone off to. Now our driveway opens on to a busy road with lots of cars going past in the morning, so the idea of Lizzie going out the door is not a pleasant one. We share a driveway with another house where Lizzie has a friend, and they are often back and forth between houses throughout the day. As I was walking around the house, I noticed that the wife was in the kitchen, and I thought I'd ask if they had seen anything. I knocked on the door, and Lizzie comes running up to announce that she has had pancakes with her friend Olivia. She had walked out the front door without saying a word to anyone, gone over to the neighbour's house, walked in, and said that she was here for breakfast. She was asked if her parents knew where she was, told them that we did, and sat down to eat. She still has no idea why anyone would be upset. Ah!!!!!!!!