Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays

Our last 2 weekends have been chock full of birthday bashes for Ella's friends. For some reason we're surrounded by fall babies!

On September 27 we headed to the Burch household for Addie's 1st birthday. Cupcakes for all! Stacy had set up a pumpkin painting station for the kiddoes, Ella is too young to enjoy it but she sure did like watching the bigger kids participate! She mostly pushed Addie's toy around the yard and danced when Baity would push the lion's nose to make it sing. My girl loves to shake her booty!

Ella dancing with the lion She's waving at somebody here.

Sweet Ellison Soto painting her pumpkin

Addie in all her birthday glory

Caroline Perez enjoying her cupcake

Precious Baity Barksdale. Those eyes kill me, they are so freaking blue!

Ella actually let us put a party hat on her and she kept it on forever. I can't believe it didn't drive her crazy.

Ellison wanted to share her cupcake with Bryan.
Cutie pie, Ella James Schwanke.
The cool cupcake pinata. I had never seen one of these before but the kids pull off the ribbons one by one to make the candy fall out-- a bit safer than having a bunch of toddlers swinging a bat around! [September 27, 2008]

The following weekend it was off to Caroline Perez's 2nd birthday party. What else but a "Backyardigans" theme for this precious little one! Complete with a mini bounce house and balls! This thing was the perfect size for little ones, in fact I told Bryan we should get one and put it up in the house since we can't get Ella to play in the pack 'n' play but we couldn't get her out of this one!

The birthday girl in the ball pit, and of course she's sporting a pink tutu!
Ella's first birthday party casualty... she sliced her finger open on Bryan's beer can. Don't get me started on how it happened, sometimes I wonder what dad's are thinking. Anyway, once she realized she had to sit still so we could keep a paper towel on it to stop the bleeding (I swear it was like Old Faithful) she was pretty cool about it.
Ella James and Ellison took their turn in the bouncy house/ball pit
Caroline about to blow out the candles on her giant cupcake. Ella and Addie enjoying the view from their daddy's shoulders
Ella James trying to figure out how the bubbles come out of the wand. Bryan was incredibly patient with her but she never got it. I tend to agree with her, it's much more fun to have someone else do it for you!
Caroline and Allie going after the pinata. For those of you who no nothing of the world of Noggin, this is Uniqua, a main character on the Backyardigans. I have no idea what kind of animal she's supposed to be and no idea where the writers came up with the name "Uniqua"
The girls were having some trouble so Caroline's daddy, Tony, came to the rescue to get the trap door open
Addie and Ellison wanted to make sure there was no candy left on the ground! [October 5, 2008]

The last party of the weekend was to celebrate Riley Brundage's 3rd birthday. What a sweet girl! We arrived a little late due to Ella taking an extra long morning nap Sunday. What a sight we arrived to. The entire backyard was taken up by a huge bouncy Princess castle. And kids running around everywhere. Ella was in hog heaven with so much activity to watch. Riley is so good to Ella and such a good big friend. When we got there it was like the bouncy castle and all her friends disappeared, Riley was so intent on playing with Ella! I swear, she is the sweetest! I will say however, never in my life have I wanted to discipline someone else's child so badly. Not Riley, of course. This other little girl, who had to be at least 6 or 7 kept opening Riley's gifts. Carrie, Riley's mom, was trying to read all the cards as Riely was opening, so her mom could write down who gave what, and I was picking up the discarded wrapping paper so they woulnd't have trash all over the back yard. But it was impossible to keep up because there were like 4 kids opening presents. After about 5 minutes most of the parents had pulled the kids out of the circle, except this one little girl. Who just kept tearing into all of the presents. not only did Riley miss out on opening a lot (which is super fun and important when you're three!) but Carrie's mom had a hard time keeping up with who brough which present because I kept finding cards in bags the other little girl had opened and we had no clue what went with what. I'm warning you all now... if any of your kids show up to Ella's 3rd birthday and start opening her presents (especially if they're old enough to know better) I will hurt you. Not your child, but you. Don't say I didn't warn you ;)
Riley talking to Ella

Ella enjoying some pizza crust.
The Birthday Girl about to blow out her candles
Little Miss Logan Brundage
Riley's super cool Butterfly Wings that light up and play music.

Okay, this conludes the longest post in Holcomb family history. With all the parties behind us it's time to start planning Ella's for the end of November. I cannot believe she's almost 1!!!