Happy 6th Birthday!!

Madison is now more than a handful old.  It is crazy how fast time can go.  She is no longer a tiny baby or a wobbly toddler.  She is a school age girl with opinions and ideas and an imagination that grows as she does.  She loves parties and people and performing.  She loves drawing and writing and crafting.  Madison is a joy.

We celebrated her birthday and Ellie’s on the same day – Madison’s birthday.  So, Madison was the birthday girl, and Ellie was the birthday party girl. 

It started with waiting and preparing.  It takes a long time for 4pm to get here.  There is also much to be done.  The girls did a great job helping.  They cleaned their rooms without help, and they looked fantastic.  I chopped veggies, found paper products, and picked up.  Still the waiting continued.

Finally, guests started arriving.  While people mingled, I finished up my veggie train. (Thanks, Marianne, for the inspiration via facebook!)  And started pulling food out of the fridge and cupboards.

   

We had hot chicken sandwiches, chips, veggies, bean and bulgar salad (a hit!), and cheesy potatoes.  There was not much left at the end of the night.

We moved on to presents next.  It seemed wise to digest our food before diving into the cake. 

     

   

Then, the grande finale – cakes!  Madison wanted an ice cream cake with balloons and flowers around the edge.  Ellie wanted a strawberry cake with princesses holding hands and balloons on the sides.  I think Dairy Queen and Buehlers managed to do a great job catering to these requests.

              

Madison blew out the candles like a seasoned pro.  In fact, this was the only picture I managed to snap before the deed was done!

Ellie had a little more trouble – perhaps it was the way her candles were split apart, or perhaps it was that she was actually blowing above the flame.  I will give her credit for perseverence … she did not accept help when offered; she wanted to do it by herself!

    

We had a lot of fun, and we had a lot of fun people!

    

As Madison said at the end of the night, “That was the best birthday party. Ever.”