3!

My baby turned three! Can you believe that?!....because I can't. So, this year I was all about the, "I'm going low-key, she doesn't need anything, we have every toy under the sun!" attitude. I was only going to get her ONE gift: A big wheel. A pink one. That was it. I was scaling back. Then her birthday came and somewhere between March 25-March 27 I became a broke woman. *sigh* Here's how it happened...

She was very specific in her requests this year. It HAD to be pink cupcakes with pink frosting-and balloons! It's not a party until there are balloons, according to Olivia. The way she says balloons is the cutest thing I have ever heard-by the way.  Which is exactly why we went in to the store for ONE cake mix and left with balloons-quite a few of them, actually.  Unplanned expenditure #1. :)

I think we finally have her straight that she is in fact three and not eight.  The whole day she kept telling people that she was eight.

The big wheel!

You know it......;)

She immediately had her dad help strap in two babies on the back. Awesome...

Easton (slightly) sprained his ankle that day.  Being a middle child myself I was quite aware as to what he was doing......Just stealing back a little bit of the thunder that was solely belonging to birthday girl Olivia.  Well played, young Jedi.....well played. ;)

Anyway, back at the Olivia show(ha..)she was obsessed with singing happy birthday to herself. Everyone that called to sing to her that day-she would sing right along with them.  She was basking people....basking.

Opening gifts. Oh, what?.....that's right.  Easton and Allie wanted to get her something too.  Melissa & Doug toys. Have you seen them? They are awesome, but also awesomely expensive.  (Unexpected expenditure #2)

Then I had one of my less than stellar moments in birthday ideas.  Build-A-Bear.  Ever been? I had not. My kids have gone because my mom has taken them before. Cutest bears and costumes-EVER and Olivia loves stuffed animals, so I thought(not so intelligently) that it would be the perfect way to celebrate her three years of life.  Come Sunday night(night before her birthday) and I realize that the nearest build-a-bear is in SL. I had no idea.  I couldn't change the plan because Olivia was telling everyone that she was going there for her birthday. Crap.
We got there and she immediately picked out a bunny.  Stuffed it....

Gave it a bath......

Picked out an outfit...... *sigh* We showed her a million darling outfits and which one did she zero in on? The hooker type-red dress, red high heels and a purse to match. There was no convincing her of any thing else.  Her bunny was destined to be a tramp. ;)

Then we adopted it by giving it a name(Dora) and paying for it. (cue the mental sound of screeching brakes and horns honking here).  I nearly fell over when they gave me the total. WHAT?!  I may have uttered a few not birthday worthy curse words as I handed my debit card to them.  All the times my mom has taken them, never ONCE did she tell me how much they are! I promptly came home and declared that she will NEVER take them again. I was mortified.  That damn bunny cost twice what her big wheel did. (Unexpected expenditure #3.....dumb bunny)  haha....   She does love that hooker of a bunny(or is it bunny of a hooker?) so that helps. ;)

Then on the way home we were all starving, so we asked Olivia what she wanted to eat(mistake!) and she said "breadsticks!" which means only one thing: Olive Garden. I mean...why not? We blew past the spending limit hours and hours ago, why not just keep it going? ;)

We are so happy and blessed to have Olivia in our family. She is the funniest, sassiest little girl ever and I can't imagine our lives without her.  Did you know that for awhile there I was completely content with just Allie and Easton? I had my girl and my boy-I was good!  We always had said we would have three, but for a time there, I wasn't completely sure(thus the 4 1/2 year gap) but how thankful I am that we had her! We have a bond that I can't really explain. You know, when she was just minutes old she was screaming her head off and I started talking to her and she just stopped and then when I would stop talking, she would start screaming again. She was my only baby that I had that effect on.
One night while still in the hospital, I had given her to the nurses so that I could try and sleep for a few hours. My room was about as far away from the nursery as you could get but I woke up because I could hear a baby crying. I knew it was her. So I walked down to the nursery to get her and the nurse said, "She is one mad little girl right now!" and the minute I got her back to my room and picked her up?....she stopped and just stared at me.  That about sums "us" up.  I have soaked up and enjoyed every minute with her and she completed our family in the most perfect way possible. Happy birthday Livi!

MY birthday was yesterday.  I'm old-ew.  I also found a gray eyebrow the other day.  Awesome-what's next? Paul bought me new skis, boots and poles for my day.(We actually did this in March) and let's just hope that I don't break a hip skiing.  I figure osteoporosis should be setting in anytime now.....;)  This picture is hideous and sorry for the almost cleavage picture. I swear my zipper wasn't that low in real life. Good laws....

In other hysterical news.....I received a new calling in church.  Hold on to your hats people....I'm the Jr. Primary Chorister. It's okay. Go ahead and laugh, because you know I sure did.... that is until the crap-your-pants fear set in.  I will have you know that Paul was overcome with body shaking laughter right there in the bishop's office.  He was able to gasp, "She can NOT sing!"  and it's true....I mean, I can stay on tune but it's not a pretty sound that comes out.  He said, "You don't need to sing, you just have to be fun."  Well, fun I can do, but fun AND reverent? This should be interesting....and irreverent(at times).....and comical.  Oh, honestly......;)