Amelia is Three

I am in total denial that our little turkey baby is already three. I know this isn't about me, but seriously how can it go by so fast???? Literally it feels like yesterday she almost arrived on Lake Shore Drive. As much as I tried to pretend like she wasn't really turning three I finally had to accept it and celebrate her third in style! The festivities were kicked-off with early presents from JuJu and Poppy. The doll potty was a total hit and all her "friends" have been busy learning to use the potty. Next was her classroom celebration of mini-cupcakes, balloons and a round of happy birthday sang by her favorite people (that would be her classmates). For her actual birthday we had no plans and just wanted to make the day special for her. Okay, maybe my life these days didn't allow for birthday party throwing so we did try to make her feel very special. I'm thinking next year we actually need to get our act together and throw the girl a party. For the love, I'm a Christmas baby so you would think I would respect a holiday birthday and not just couple her birthday and Thanksgiving together. We will pick of the therapy bill if she discovers being a holiday baby isn't so cool.

I think she was pretty happy when she woke up to a pile of presents and balloons. So the balloons were leftovers from Randy's surprise birthday party the night before. I don't think that is lazy parenting but rather resourceful.

This picture hits at who Amelia is right now; She is wearing mismatched pj's she picked out, drinking milk from her new Walgreen's tea set that she thinks is the greatest toy she has ever gotten, has a donut she requested (but of course didn't touch) and has plate of fruit salad waiting for her (that she of course ate all of).

When people asked Amelia what she wanted for her birthday she would respond, "I think I get M&Ms." When she told Papa that on the phone I full expected a wrapped bag of M&M's. Of course that would not be good enough for Papa's "favorite oldest granddaughter." Oh she got an M&M dispenser full of M&Ms that said, "Amelia's B-Day." She couldn't do anything the entire day without getting an M&M first. We hid the dispenser when we got back to Chicago and for some reason she hasn't brought it up. I'm thinking it will be something we bring out when she has friends over, etc. However she did manage to tell her teachers about it so I know she hasn't forgotten....

Amelia's grandma's both know how much she loves her dolls these days! JuJu picked out a big sister/little sister set. Amelia has taken to little sister and likes to pretend like she is Juliet. GranAnn spoiled Amelia with red headed Bitty Baby and doll crib. Amelia can spend an entire day putting her "babies" to bed so this was a perfect present. My mom made the bedding in the girl's room so she used the scraps to make matching bedding for her new crib. Seriously, she should sell her stuff on Etsy as it is great!

Juliet liked the balloons.

Amelia's birthday fell on teh Saturda after Thanksgivign and after naps were over it hit me that I really hadn't done much in three days. I inherited from both of my parents the inability to sit still. I was going stir crazy and needed out. When I discovered that Teller's had a kid's menu with all of Amelia's favorite food I convinced Mark to take the family to Teller's for Amelia's birthday dinner. Hey, maybe Teller's isn't the logical place for a 3rd birthday dinner but it is a special place for Mark and I and happy parents mean a happy child. Right? Oh yeah, and we had two doting sets of hands to help Mark and I enjoy a dinner out :)

Yum, birthday tiramisu!

We even let our hired helpers eat and drink.

Amelia got her first Shirley Temple. Merrill and I LOVED drinking Shirley Temples as kids and feeling so grown up. It seemed only natural that Amelia would have her first one with Merrill and I. Maybe now that she is three she will learn manners......