Happy Fifth Birthday, Arianna, Part 2

After painting the triceratops the kids had fun outside jumping on the trampoline.  It got up to 70 degrees yesterday!  It was a beautiful day, albeit a little windy.  Then we went grocery shopping and Arianna brought her Birthday money and picked out a couple of little toys.  She was delighted.  Thanks, Grandma!

Fun on the trampoline.  The previous owners left it for us at our request.  It is great!

We had lunch out on the picnic table and the kids had more fun outside.  Arianna chose to have sandwiches for lunch (no surprise there), which they made themselves.  The girls want to make their own sandwiches every time we eat them now.  I think they are enjoying the space in the kitchen where we can easily work together as much as I am! 

Lunch out under the trees in our backyard.

I was kept hopping all afternoon making the cake and dinner.  Arianna had originally wanted a fire-breathing dragon cake (yeah- she's an interesting one).  But, I did not want to construct one from cake and frosting and didn't find the right figurine in my searching over the last couple of weeks, so I took her to the store last week and had her pick out one of those Schleich animals that I then kept hidden for the week to up the suspense a little.  She chose an elephant so I went with a jungle sort of theme.  (She had an elephant on her 3rd Birthday cake as well!)  She loved it! 

Getting ready to eat dinner.  Arianna is joining the rest of the family is choosing Swedish Meatballs for her Birthday dinner.  And salad.  She wanted salad to go with it. Here I am 1 day before the due date.

Here is the pound cake with a jungle theme.  I bought some little animal crackers for around the bottom and used Pepperidge Farm Pirouettes for the trunks of the palm trees.  Good old cream cheese was the glue to stick stuff together and the green is all construction paper.



Checking out the cake.

It wouldn't be Arianna if she didn't think of something creative to do with her new animal.  Here is Ellie carrying a load of blueberries.

Now he's juggling them!

All afternoon Arianna could hardly wait for Dad to come home so that she could open the final Birthday gift.  When she finally got to, I don't know who was more excited, Arianna or Grant.  We got her some more Magna-tiles.  We gave a set of 32 to Grant for Christmas and ever since they have fought over them every morning (and at various other times in the day) because there just weren't enough for them all to play with.  They were all delighted.  In fact, as I write this the morning after, they are all downstairs playing with them!

Daddy making Arianna guess what the gift it.

Happy as can be!

The Magna-tiles!

We got the kids to bed too late after all the festivites, but I think Arianna felt special and had a great day.  We are so thankful to have her as part of our family.