Birthday Bash Blow-Out!

We celebrated Lucy's birthday with a huge bash, and okay, the blow-out part is for the fact that the chocolate cake I made yesterday EXPLODED for no reason in the oven and then caught on fire. Really. I have absolutely NO idea why or how that happened, except to say that my baking chemistry must have been seriously off! Anyway, that's another story...

Lucy woke up bright and early and came downstairs to find-- a new BIKE!! Ta-dah! She has been wanting a bike for quite a long time, but where in our apartment in Philly would we have put such a thing?? So it was a life lesson that good things come to those who wait.:)

She then got to open the rest of her presents from mom and dad and Zachy. She has been begging for a pet lately, and since neither Jonathan nor I are animal folk-- she got a robotic kitty instead. She seemed just as elated!

The Ariel doll she has been wanting forever from the $$ in the package Grandma and Grandpa Cardon sent! So excited! Thank you!

Lucy's two favorite things are princesses and picnics, so we decided to combine the two and have a princess picnic birthday party! She invited some friends from preschool and some friends from her Sunbeam class and they started things off with their picnic lunch, and then made beaded bracelets, and then decorated graham cracker houses with candy. I think more candy went into their tummies than on their houses, but just when I got them good and sugared up it was time for them to go home to their parents.:)

She loved opening presents, which was by far the highlight of her party!!


Lucy wanted a pig cake for her birthday, which was somewhat traumatizing for me. I have never (and will never) claim to be a cake decorator, or even artistic for that matter, so I studied this cake out for months in advance. I was going to try my hand at fondant, but the $20 investment scared me because I had about a 50/50 chance at success, so I went with some basic buttercream. It looks like a cake I made in 5th grade for a cake walk, but she seemed to like it, and it does scream, "PIG!" after all.

Happy 4th Birthday!! Blow out the candles!!

The princesses: Gabby, Julia, Hailey, Paisley, and Lucy.

After the party we got dinner at Lucy's favorite fancy restaurant, Olive Garden. She love love loves spaghetti and salad, and requested this dinner months ago.

Time for bed as an official 4-year old! She got this hand-made princess quilt from Grandma Joanie for her birthday and LOVES it. It was perfect too because this week the letter in preschool was "Q," and for Show and Tell they were supposed to bring in their favorite quilt to share so Lucy brought this one. WE LOVE YOU BIRTHDAY GIRL!