Happy Birthday!

My daughters are three years old tomorrow.

As I'm writing this, it occurs to me that three years ago, they weren't even born yet. I was laying in Labor & Delivery, hooked up to magnesium, begging DH to fan me with a piece of paper as I was dripping with sweat (a lovely effect of the magnesium).

Today was their birthday party. We had it at one of those "party gym" places, and every year I say its worth the money we spend. No cleaning the house, no cleanup, everything is done for me. We had a visit from Dora the Explorer - Dr. D. was totally thrilled, Miss Princess was a bit put off by this giant Dora who wanted to hug her. I was a bit disappointed that the girls didn't blow out the candles on their cake -- we'd been practicing for MONTHS -- singing the "Happy Birthday" song, blowing out the candles...but the whole thing happened so fast that the girls didn't really have time to get into it.

The weather totally didn't cooperate today - I'd bought the girls the cutest little sundresses, only to have it be rainy, grey, and damp today - so we had a last minute wardrobe substitution. Damn it all to hell.

Another reason why the party gym thing is cool is that they bag up all the gifts and you take them home to open. The girls are in bed, and I'll be pawing through all their birthday loot, admiring the cute outfits that they got (not that THEY care about the cute outfits, that's mostly for me)...and leaving their toys out for them to open tomorrow.

We took the girls shopping for new sneakers this week - their feet have gone up a size. I also bought them sunglasses - their new favorite thing. Last year, I couldn't get them to wear sunglasses to save their lives...but this year, its all the rage at our house:

Aw yeah...She's just too cool for school, eh?

Her new phrase is "you're crazy!" I ask her, "D, who's crazy?" and she laughs and says, "YOU'RE CRAZY!"

Miss Princess, on the other hand, loves to look at herself in the mirror:

She's my little artist these days - as soon as she wakes up in the morning, she sits at her little table and asks for her coloring books and crayons. And stickers, that girl can go through a sheet of stickers like lightning.

I'm having a cocktail, and raising my glass to my two beautiful girls. They've come so far in the last year, and the coming year is going to be full of changes with school approaching.

Raise your glasses with me.

Have a great weekend.