A Birthday for Liliana

We had a lovely quiet day for Liliana's 3rd birthday.  The night before her actual birthday, I asked Liliana, "What would you like to do on your birthday?" and her quick response was "Stay home and read books" and sure enough, when she came downstairs the next morning (after picking out her favorite and very full dress to wear), she didn't even notice the gifts on the diningroom table or her dolls and stuffed friends sitting around the table, waiting to party with her pretend cupcakes.  She went straight for the couch and said, "Daddy, will you read books?" so of course, Daddy (who had taken vacation over her birthday) obliged, which was perfect because I hadn't wrapped one of her gifts, which was a personalized Sesame Street story with her picture and name throughout as she had adventures with Ernie and Elmo and others.  After Brian read one of our old books to her, I handed him the Sesame Street book, "Liliana's Happy Day" to him from behind the couch and as Liliana snuggled in to listen to the book, her eyes widened and she started giggling because she saw herself on the cover with her favorites.  As the story unfolded, she seemed amazed and tickled that she had played dress-up with Elmo and had danced with Abby.  Liliana just giggled and giggled and seemed amazed.  Three years old must be a magical time to receive a personalized book, because I think she thought it was reality.  As soon as Daddy finished reading the book, she asked me to, then Daddy again, then me, etc.  We read that book over and over and over.

 After a while, we did open gifts and we played with her wooden train set with her new track and her new Thomas.  We set it up on the diningroom table (and it's still there!) since it was her birthday and we found that Vera Rose was not constantly destroying the track design since it was up so high--which was nice!  We also did a unicorn puzzle and a fairy puzzle at the far end of the table.

 

At noon, we headed to the bakery and had lunch. Liliana picked out a delightful pink cake (the pink glaze tasted exactly like white chocolate!) covered with white rosebuds and silver leaves.  After making a quick stop at a craft store where Liliana picked out a purple princess wand for herself, we headed home.  Liliana's Grandma came over to our house which then made the cake cutting that much more special for our birthday girl!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Such a lovely day!

 

 

A Birthday Party for our Little Madeline

Liliana's Madeline Party

 

 

 

 

 

Our three Madelines and one Pepito

       Our house might not be "an old house in Paris that was covered in vines" but we did have a Madeline or two (actually three!) at our house this past weekend--plus a Pepito!  We had an early birthday party for Liliana since there were grandparents, cousins, and other family members home for the Thanksgiving holiday with whom we wanted to share the fun.  For her third birthday, Liliana chose to have a Madeline theme, based on the classic picture books by Ludwig Bemelmans.  (For more about the party preparations, click here.)  The girls wore Madeline coats, complete with her well-known yellow hat.  Our Pepito wore his traditional black cape and black hat (actually a child's Musketeer hat since they don't actually sell Pepito hats).  We read a few of the Madeline books, crushed a yellow hat pinata, found missing pictures on a Madeline place mat, found Genevieve's missing puppies in the Madeline in Paris board game and had a Madeline cake (with two eyes and "a happy" as Liliana called the cake's smile).  Liliana, filled with much anticipated birthday glee, flitted continually from one end of the party to the other, playing with cousins, talking with great-aunts, and started singing the "Happy Birthday" song to herself as soon as the candles were lit on the cake.  My favorite moment was when Daddy came in the door with a dozen helium-filled balloons because Liliana squealed and danced and jumped with happiness.  Brian's favorite moment was when the yellow hat pinata fell from the tree (its string broke) and Pepito never stopped swinging at that pinata, crushing it on the ground until the candy and prizes appeared.  We are very thankful for all who traveled from far and near to be a part of our celebration of Liliana.  May she spend many more happy moments with her loved ones during the coming year!

                         Pinata time!

A tired little girl wears her new knee socks and plays

 with her new Three Bears flannel graph set (after the party).

Preparing for a Madeline-themed Birthday Party

Oui! Oui! Our Liliana is Three! Preparing the Madeline Party:

 

 

       In preparation for Liliana's third birthday, I immersed myself in all things Madeline, her chosen theme.  We had lots of the Ludwig Bemelmans' books, plus puzzles and games. 

 

 

       I prepared Madeline birthday banners by making color photocopies of Madeline, pasting them onto blue and red card stock, punching a hole in the top corners of each picture, and attaching them with blue grosgrain ribbon. 

 

 

       A Madeline cake was made by using an extra-large round cake pan for a head and making an additional square cake which I cut up for Madeline's signature hat, hat streamers, and her red hair.  I iced the cake in buttercream colored with paste food colorings.  The cake was sitting on a foil-wrapped, upside-down cookie tray which I hid by adding tear-drop shaped scrapbook paper.

 

 

 

 

       Madeline cookies were made by purchasing a mini hat cookie cutter from amazon.com, then making a batch of Italian butter cookies which I glazed with yellow icing (powdered sugar with a little bit of water and yellow food coloring) while they were still hot, then piped a black bow using a small round nib on the icing bag when they cooled.

 

 

       Birthday tree decor were Madeline paper dolls from amazon.com (which I cut out and poked a pin through for the ornament hook).  I also hung lots of mini yellow Madeline hats which I made by purchasing small straw hats, spray-painting them yellow, then sewing on thin black ribbon which was tied in a bow.

 

 

       Madeline party items were purchased from birthdaypartyexpress.com and included costumes, invitations, thank yous, paper plates, cups, balloons, Eiffel Towers centerpieces, placemats, favor boxes, stickers, a yellow hat pinata, and more.  I also decorated using my own 8 inch Madeline dolls from childhood.

 

 

For more pictures from the actual party, click here.



The Thanksgiving Table

Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner: Setting the Table

       I had the joy of hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year and it truly was such fun.  The best part of preparation, of course, is the decor.  So, after years in storage, my ten vintage turkey figurines came out of hiding and were dispersed around the livingroom, diningroom, and kitchen so Vera Rose and Liliana have daily marches around the rooms to spot and point out the turkeys.
       Food preparation (and every task) always takes a million times longer than I think it will since my toddlers are constantly underfoot and desiring attention so I decided to set the Thanksgiving table and finalize the seating chart four days in advance--and I'm so glad I did!  Midway through placing the newly ironed tablecloth and cloth napkins, and setting the plates, one of the diningroom table's legs fell off with a very loud crash.  The table didn't collapse since the table (a cherished inheritance from Brian's grandma) has eight legs (it's a double dropleaf).  The table had been excessively wobbly for a month and I blamed it on bad storage conditions and wondered whether I'd have to have the table repaired somehow.  Well, after the leg detached itself, I went underneath to investigate, only to find that every leg was missing its wingnut and washer.  Each leg was simply propped against the table with only the screw sitting loosely through the furniture.  Everytime I repositioned the table (which I do a lot), the legs would slant at 45 degree angles and wobble and twist.  Hmmm, have my little darlings been untwisting wingnuts when I thought they were sweetly playing house beneath the table?  I believe the answer is YES.  About a month ago, I spotted a number of washers and huge old wingnuts on the floor, but since I'm often using tools to put up curtain rods, etc,  I just blamed it on my own carelessness.  I fetched the missing parts from my tool basket, and tightened the legs and yay: sturdiest table ever! (at least until the next time my girls play beneath the table).

      

Thankfulness Tree

We are so thankful...

 

       Prompted by seeing my sister and others make Thankfulness Trees in the past, we created our own little version today.  We utilized a tree branch that had been anchored in a little circle of concrete (a garage sale find from years ago), then cut out leaf shapes from orange and yellow scrapbook paper.  Then the fun began! 

       I asked Liliana what she was thankful for, what she was happy that she had, what items or people made her glad that God had given them to her...and as you can imagine, her answers were delightful!  Her answers varied from the expected ("Vera Rose," "Mommy," "Daddy") to the exquisitely 2-year-old ("Cookies and pie and pumpkin pie and presents for my birthday," to naming her favorite flavors of babyfood: "peas, carrots, banana-orange, and peaches").  I enjoyed praying with thanksgiving through my own jotted thoughts on my blessings which seem so numerous this year.  Vera Rose had only one comment when I asked her what she was thankful for: "elbows" so we now have a leaf denoting that body part, and after thinking on it, I am very glad that we can bend our arms.  I'm eager for Brian to return home from work because Liliana has a pile of blank leaves just waiting for his thoughts as well.  I'm so glad we have a holiday to remind us of our blessings and all that God has done and given us. 

       If you stop by, be sure to jot down your own thankful thoughts, whether here on this blog or on our little tree at home!  Happy Thanksgiving!