Last Friday was James, Amelia, and Madeline's third birthday. Their party was scheduled for Sunday, but we obviously wanted to celebrate and make the kids feel special on their actual birthday. Jackson surveyed the trio and made a list of things they wanted. First on the list was chocolate chip waffles. That was easy enough.
Next on their list was presents. I wasn't so sure about this one, since they wouldn't get presents until their party two days later. Thankfully, a large Amazon package arrived on our doorstep from my BFF. Each toddler had individual cards and puzzles to open. Score!
Our special outing was to a newly opened park with beach access. Since it was a Friday, we had to pay the $10 weekend parking fee.
The kids were content alternating between the shore and swimming.
The water was only 4 feet deep. The beach was lined with thousands of rocks, making the water extremely clear but painful to walk along the shore.
We rinsed and dried off,
then checked out the fun playground. There was a zipline/swing contraption. Jackson only went on it once and seemed terrified the entire time. The toddlers were too small to ride.
We returned home, ate lunch, and relaxed. Of course, we also sang "Happy Birthday" multiple times, as is the tradition on birthdays. I had promised a friend that I would go check on her cats. What should have been a 30 minute trip turned into a stressful afternoon lasting several hours. This cat ran out the door and never looked back, sending Jackson and I on a wild goose chase throughout the neighborhood. After knocking on neighbors' doors and getting stuck in briar thickets, I had to call my friend and let her know I had lost their cat.
Jackson and I temporarily gave up our search to return home. We made a quick stop to buy birthday balloons. The balloons were very well received by James, Amelia, and Maddie.
For months now, James and Amelia have asked for an UmiZoomi birthday cake. Maddie has asked for a "princess Elsa Anna cake". Their birthday party was UmiZoomi themed, so I planned to make a quick barbie princess cake for their actual birthday. The cat drama sucked up our entire afternoon, but I was able to whip this up in under 30 minutes. (I had baked the cake that morning.)
The girls' reaction to the princess cake was spectacular. We sang once again and Jesse lit a candle three different times so each toddler could take a turn blowing it out.
As a parent, it's especially fun to be able to make your kids happy and fulfill their simple requests. I may not have been able to spend as much time with them as I wanted, but I feel confident that they enjoyed their birthday. (And just in case you're concerned, the cat was found and returned home two days later.)
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