Don't get me wrong, I love their growing independence but it breaks my heart just a tad that soon, I am not going to be the center of their universe...
Anywho, this year was the last year that I will chose their theme for their Birthday party celebrations. You see, I have always started planning the following year's Birthday party the day after the current year's celebration. I know...sick. BUT, I love, love, LOVE parties and I REALLY LOVE planning and decorating.
However, this year, I realized that it was probably time to let the kids decide the themes of their party because when I announced that it was going to be a Princess and Pirate celebration Bryce almost lost his mind! He didn't want a Pirate Party....he wanted a Construction Party. I had already purchased all the decorations and I quickly went on the offense to get him into the "mood" of being a Pirate, "ARGGHHH!"
As it would happen, all it took was getting Daddy Dave to dress up like a Pirate and the son was ready to go...LOL!
Note: Click on pictures to enlarge
Ave of course was more than delighted that she would be able to dress up as a Princess. Her biggest dilemma was deciding which one of her MANY Princess costumes she would wear on the big day. She finally settled on Belle...
As always, our many family and friends arrived to celebrate my babies 4th Birthday and it was one of the best parties to date (if I do say so myself). Likely because the kids are so much more aware of what a Birthday means and how the party is to honor them and they day they were born.
They absolutely LOVED seeing all the decorations go up throughout the week and delighted in the process of transforming our house into a pirate ship and princess palace...
The food also followed the Princess and Pirate theme....
The cake was ordered and keeping with past years, we had pictures of them dressed in their outfits put on the cake....
The BIG difference this year? I actually baked the kids cupcakes and placed a "TREASURE" in each on them (A loonie! And for my non-Canadian friends, that's a one dollar coin). This was something I always remembered my mom doing for my Birthday and I hope to carry on that tradition for them and their friends. I am going to do another post on how I did this (although it probably seems pretty straightforward...LMAO!)
The kiddos loot bags include a whole bunch of pirate and princess
Did I forget to mention that I ALSO got into the theme and dressed up as Cinderella?? Yes, I also love to DRESS-UP too! Ave was so excited that her mom was Cinderella and Bryce told me I looked, "Soooo beautiful!" Awwww...he's too kind. Really...he IS! LMAO!
And so, that pretty much recaptures the days events and while I would love to announce NEXT YEAR'S theme...I am afraid that will have to wait. *HUGE SIGH* It's time to pass the theme party baton onto my children. Well, actually, just PICKING the theme, I still want creative control...LOL!
