Happy Birthday, Abby!

Emma and Abby usually have the unique privilege to spend their February birthdays in warm, swimsuit weather.   They usually like this arrangement - I point out that they get to eat donuts on their birthdays, whereas the rest of us to not.  But sometimes it gets tricky because many of the friends they'd want to spend their birthday with just aren't available if we're traveling.  

I try to plan something to do for each of their birthdays before we've ever even boarded a plane.  Because, let's face it, who wants to plan something (and figure out where to get what you need) when the beach is just out your window?

Adding in the requirement that it needs to be packable notches up the challenge a little.  For Abby's birthday, we packed candles and birthday decorations - thanks to josh's uber-organized sister, Kristen!! - and a load of balloons.  Balloons have got to be one of the most versatile toys on the planet.  Fill them with water and the possibilities are endless!

So on February 17, we celebrated Abby's 3rd birthday.  It was a few days early, but we were actually going to be in planes and splitting up as a family (the big girls and I were headed to the homeschool conference) on her actual birthday.

Plus, doing it a bit early meant that all those friends we've been hanging with at the beach could celebrate with Abby. And if there's ever been a girl who loves a party, it's Abby!

That morning, I filled up a bag of water balloons and had a few games planned for the kiddos.  

But since cakes don't travel well internationally, I was at the mercy of the local grocery store when it came to a vehicle for candles.  I ended up buying some questionable looking Swiss-Cake-Roll type of thing.

They worked fine for candles, and Abby was thrilled.

I remember when Abby was a baby and I had such difficulty handling her boisterous and rambunctious personality.  I told myself that if she lived to be five years old, I would have succeeded.  The girl was always toppling, sliding, falling, and tumbling from all places high, low, safe and extremely dangerous.

Three years later, she's still alive and still so very rambunctious.  She's the one who runs around the house on tiptoes, crashing into the door to enter a room, jumping off the top of the little slide in the living room.

She's the little three year old who thinks she can zip around on the scooter just because her big sisters can.  She's the one who would love to hang by her knees from the top of Samantha's bunk bed if she just didn't get punished for it quite so much.  She's the one who maxes out the speed limit on her Dora tricycle.

She's also the one who wants me to lay my cheek on her cheek when I sing to her and tuck her in at night.  She's the one who wants to grasp my fingers in her hand when we're walking to the market down the street for fresh strawberries.  She's the one who kisses me so much that it's usually me telling her to stop.

She says "How Cloot!" when something is cute.

She tells us she's "hung-ly" when she needs a snack.

She sometimes gets Silas's head involved in her drum obsession.

She knows that right now, the prime spot on my lap is hers during any story time.  {and how the girl loves being read to!}

She loves chinese dumplings, tofu, yogurt, pasta and Flooty Pebbles cereal.  (The rest of the world calls it Fruity Pebbles.)  She dislikes chicken and beef and potatoes.

She got some clickety-clackety dress up shoes for her birthday and she proudly exclaimed: "Mommy, I'm a lady now! I can get married like you!!"

With all of her energy and stubbornness, I know that I'm eventually going to be the most sanctified mother out there.  =)  But if she weren't that way, she wouldn't be Abby.

All of us over here sure love Abby-girl.  She makes us laugh like no one else in the family, and we're hoping we can keep her alive long past five.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Abby!