We celebrated Charlotte Gray's third birthday last weekend in merry mermaid style! This is the first time that she actually knew that her birthday was coming and what all came with your big day. Charlotte is the one that chose the theme and after I had tapped out all of my creativity and craftiness (pinterest), I asked her what she wanted at her birthday and she replied in a very Charlotte way with her hands in her clasped in her lap, "just a wot of bawoons and cake." Man, all my decorations and what was the one thing that I did not have, balloons. So needless to say, that morning we picked up some balloons! Her special day was made even more special because her favorite family, The Smiths, drove all the way from Virginia to come to her birthday party. It was a great weekend that I think any three year old mermaid would have loved, and ours sure did!
Here are some shots from the day!
Decorations: we kept with the beach mermaid theme with shells and all of our favorite sea creatures.
Food: our mermaid and mermen guests dined on an assortment of nautical treats! Complete with crab sandwiches, sea weed grapes, driftwood, sea shells and cheese, sea snails, goldfish and gold coins and some fishy sweets like marshmallow starfish grahams, sand dollar cookies and clam cookies.
Fun Activities: I always feel the teacher in me over plans everything, but with a good group of active kids with a crazy ring leader mermaid the activities were just right! As always, Jay read a book, we chose Three Little Mermaids, everyone decorated a cookie or two to take home (I loved the google eyes I ordered) and the kids enjoyed painting fish sun catchers and receiving fishy temporary tattoos from my crazy tattooing aunties! (thanks Paula and Teresa!)
Of course we had all the fun activities that all birthday bashes include like cake and gifts. I think it came to a big shock to both Jay and I how she reacted to her group of loved ones singing happy birthday to her.... we sing happy birthday to at least five things a day (everything from clouds and bugs to brooms and dustpans to people she met in the grocery store) so when it was her time for the birthday song and her smile turned to a nervous cry we were a little surprised. Thanks to a willing crowd that sang to her not once, or twice but a lucky three times and a loving Auntie Dee that helped her get through her big moment. She blew all her candles out with shockingly no singed hair and enjoyed some cake and presents!
Happy Birthday to our favorite little "worm maid" we hope you had as much day on your big day as we did planning for it! We love you!
-melissa
