Monday, August 4, 2014

August 1, 2014




















We celebrated Marianne's birthday this past weekend.  Mostly because her birthday falls on a bad day- the Sunday before the 1st day of school right after a little vacation.  Plus she has been waiting for her birthday forever so I'll take any excuse to not make her wait anymore.  It turned August and we  went for it.  Marianne has been so forever patient waiting for her birthday to come ever since all the other kids had theirs in the Spring time.  She was so sweet and good about it too.  But anytime the word birthday would come up she would remind me that she still hadn't had her butterfly birthday- which was the theme she picked for who knows what reason. Birthday's are a really big deal at our house, so it was hard for our little two year old to wait, but she did so with great attitude.  She knew the order and when it hadn't been my birthday yet she would say "your birthday mom and then my birthday right mom?"  She could wait like me- but had to wait even longer.  But the month finally came!
For her first fun surprise we took her and all the kid to Build A  Bear.  A store where you get to pick out a bear, then stuff it, put a heart in it, pick out clothes, bathe it, and then get a birth certificate and such.  Marianne has been very interested in babies and stuffed animals her whole life. But recently spent all her money she had saved on a teddy bear because she did not have a teddy bear.  And then obsessed over the bear, slept with the bear, dressed the bear and took it everywhere she went for the last few months.  So I knew Build A  Bear would be a hit. When we went she understood and then went to work picking something out.  She picked a Panda Bear- which also did not suprise me because she calls all bears panda bears and loves them.  She has a small panda figurine I bought her once on an errand that is about as big as a thumb but she has managed to keep track of it and not loose it for five months because she loves it so.  She also picks anything that is a bear- a carosel animal, a water bottle.  So she picked the Panda Bear at the store.  And even before that she noticed and mentioned the batman outfit at the front of the store.  We let her pick out anything in the store to put on her bear. And she picked a batman outfit.  Amist sparkles and princess dresses, and tutus and all things that most three year old girl would adore- she picked the batman costume.     You can see in the pictures the store is full of pink and purple and bows and dresses.  Kind of like how downstairs we have two giant boxes of dresses up princess customes and Mari always finds the two super hero costumes in the pile and comes up stairs in them 95% of the time..  I am noticing so much how much she cherishes her older brother Sam and wants to be like him lately.  On Sunday I pulled out a  jean button up shirt for her to wear with a pink skirt to church and when she saw it she exclaimed "like Sam wears to church" ...... so her brother's influence was felt for sure at build a bear as well even though he in now way told her it was what she should pick.  Sam picked out a ninja turtle and Kate picked out a Hello Kitty.  Bethany and I picked a white polar bear together for her. The kids stuffed the bears, bathed them, Marianne dressed hers and then they made birth certificates.  It was a really pleasant night that all the kids enjoyed.  When we got home Marianne and Sam went to work together coloring their super hero's hideaways (the houses they gave them) and then played "Save the Day" superhero style together the rest of the night.
We have pretty awesome kids.  This felt like spoiling them a little. Since it was only Marianne's birthday but they all got a gift.  But I think that is okay for just one day.  The sibling were very good about making sure Marianne got to be the center of attention and have a special evening out and helped her know what to do and wanted her to be happy.  I have a feeling we are going to end up at Build A  Bear for birthdays often in the future.

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