{Birthday posts always take so long for me to get up. I've been working on this one here and there, editing pictures, choosing favorites, writing the narration, etc. since shortly after the party. And in the 2 short weeks since then, I've had lots of other things I wanted to share. But before I skip ahead, I'm going to finish sharing all the fun that was Emma's 3rd birthday party!}
We celebrated Emma's 3rd birthday on Saturday (3/26) with a Cut & Color Art party! Emma loves crayons and scissors, so this was the perfect theme to celebrate her special day! As a matter of fact, she loves it so much, she even used her cutting skills to cut the table cover Amy and I had worked so hard to get in place, before the party even started!
These two look more and more alike each day!
Emma's pigtails were so cute! How long will they last? We'll see... This little girl is notorious for pulling her her bow or ponytail out!
These mason jars were each filled with a different color/flavor kool-aid and the kids were encouraged to mix up their own concoction! Fun, right?!
There were lots of arts and crafts activities for the kids! Easels with chalk and markers, paint, crazy scissors, crayons, glue and more!
Do you see all of our alphabet crayons on the table? These were the ones we started on the weekend before and caused the kitchen to fill with smoke. After we figured out the timing, they all turned out great!
Check out the crayon cake Mrs. Duncan and Mrs. Hines created! It was yet another adventure and wasn't finished until minutes before the party, but as always, everyone LOVED it!
In case the colorful crayons weren't enough, there was a even a giant cupcake!
I loved all of the snack choices Amy came up with. So fun and colorful!
Emma didn't waste any time getting her artsy on. So many fun things to create!
Mom-Mom is always sitting down coloring and doing crafts with the kids.
Ryley created a beautiful masterpiece, too!
Emma's little buddy, Spencer, taking a swig of his kool-aid concoction. Nothing like a crowd of sugared up kids at a birthday party! :-)
Oh yeah, did I mention there was a 'jumpy house'?! The kids all had the best time jumping, even though the weather was cold and dreary. This was the week that we had beautiful weather early, followed by a cold, rainy weekend. Amy and I (okay, okay....with the help of two, strong boys) got it set up Friday afternoon, so the cousins and neighbors could at least have a little jumpy time with decent weather. And did they ever? They jumped til well after dark Friday night!
Jackson held his own in there with all the school-age kids. I actually think he may have been more of a tackling-trouble-maker!
Kate, on the other hand, jumped for a little bit on Friday, but it didn't take her long to get her fill. She quickly realized that she was no match for the big kids and it was more fun to watch. But Ryan, stuck in there with no problem. He and Kate are just about the same age and he had a ball! He didn't mind the big kids one bit and even threw a fit when he had to get out!
Look closely. Do you see what I see in this picture? ;-)
Fun, fun, fun!
Back inside, Kate and Ryan had a little arts & crafts time! Aren't the two of them so stinkin' cute? It's going to be so fun to watch all of the 'kids among our friends' grow up together!
While the bigger kids were outside jumping, Emma was still busy do-a-dotting. This time with Papa!
And then it was time to eat! Which actually means, it's almost time for cake!!
Jackson finally emerged from the jumpy house for a quick snack. It was probably the thought of birthday cake that got him inside, not the hot dog!
Our traditional photo-op with the masterpiece.
Mommy & Daddy w/ the birthday girl!
Emma is such a silly little girl! She has the funniest expressions...
Amy wanted a sweet picture with Emma. Emma wanted a sweet taste of icing!!
Look at the excitement on Emma's face! I love it!
Yet another sneak of icing!
I think Emma was very happy with how her crayon cake turned out!
And how about this for a surprise? Not only was the cake fabulously decorated, but the inside was a lovely rainbow of colors, too!
This picture just makes me laugh. It was supposed to be a shot of the colors of the cake, but Emma's expression in the background is way better! I imagine her saying, "Man, this party ROCKS!"
And finally, it was time for what every looks forward to most at their birthday party.... PRESENTS!
Emma had only opened a couple of presents, when the excitement must have overcame her. She decided that it was time the adorable pig-tails were over.... You gave them a good run, Emma. They almost made it through the party.
What is it? What is it?
Her very own Dora movie!! She is totally giving the movie a big squeeze. I'd say she loves it!
The princess hopper got a big squeeze, too! It was so funny to watch Emma's excitement with all her gifts! I've never known a kid to give presents a hug. That's Emma though....you never know what to expect from her!
Though she didn't give it a hug, she did seem proud of the big-girl backpack we gave her!
Have a mentioned that Emma's a little unpredictable? Yeah, this little girl totally wanted a calculator ('like Papa's') for her birthday. Not a toy calculator -- a regular 'ole desk calculator! And she got just what she wanted!
So what else did she want? What every 3 year old wants for their birthday, no? Flashlights!
Well, my friends, that was Emma's big day! All the kids had a blast and the cousins enjoyed an entire weekend together!
