Birthday Girl

Millie, Daphne, Hallie and Luke - I think Hallie looks like she could be Daphne's big sis

For Daphne's second birthday, we threw together a party at the last minute.  We were just going to celebrate with the three of us, but two days before her birthday we decided we might as well invite the family living nearby to come over and share some food and cake.  We ended up with 20 guests and our social little lady was loving every second with her best friends/cousins!

As Daphne's favorite song is "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" I decided to bake a star-shaped cake (thank you for the pan Catherine!) and decorate with a few cheapo star dangles and yellow balloons.  In the playroom, I tacked a dark blanket across the window and taped Christmas lights all around the room.  The kids thought this was so magical, especially when we gave each of the kids glow sticks, turned out the lights and tossed around glow in the dark balloons while singing Twinkle Twinkle.  Cheap thrills, but the kids loved it!

The twins "helping" get things ready for the party - loved listening to them laugh together

For birthday gifts, we got Daphne a sturdy wooden kitchen set we found used for a killer deal.  Grandma Bush sent her a darling singing purse and wooden velcro food that you can "cut" with a wooden knife and then velcro back together again while Grandma Adams gave her a darling hand-made apron and a cookie mix - all perfect for her new kitchen set!  We had requested no gifts again this year as this little lady already has way too many toys, but everyone ignored us and Daph ended up with more fun things than she could possibly know what to do with.  Thank you everyone for your generosity.

One of Daphne's gifts was a plastic bowling set, perfect for our long tiled entry/kitchen area.  The kids lined up to take turns and had just as much setting up the pins as knocking them down.

I loved watching Daphne jump for joy when her cousins walked in the door and cling to her Grandmama during dinner.  How lucky to have family who are close by and willing to come at the drop of a hat!

I think my favorite part of the evening had to be when Sadie organized a birthday parade.  She and the other kids hoisted Daphne to their shoulders and marched around the house chanting, "Birthday girl! Birthday girl!" over and over again.  It made me laugh to hear Daphne pick up the chant whenever it died down as if to say, "Oh, do go on!"  No wonder this little lady think the world revolves around her!

    

Thanks for coming to celebrate with us family!  We sure love our two-year-old birthday girl!