Blythe is Four!

We have been talking about Blythe's birthday for weeks, and it finally arrived.  We had a good day celebrating, and by the end of the day, I think we were all exhausted.  The children started swimming lessons the day before, so we began the day swimming.   Blythe had a meltdown at the beginning of lessons and clung to my leg, but I sort of threw her into the pool and she was hauled off by Katie who worked with her.  She shrieked on and off, in spite of cajoling and encouragement.  I guess she figured it was her birthday and she could cry if she wanted to.  Sometimes she is extraordinarily stubborn.

Here is a cooperative moment.

And a less cooperative moment when Katie is trying to get her to put her chin in the water.

We raced from swimming up to the Scera Theater for the beginning of summer movies.  I remember going to summer movies when I was a kid and loving it, so I have made this a part of our summer routine for the past couple of years.  We were all delighted to be together with cousins, but no one felt that we had enough popcorn.  We never do.  This week we saw Hop.

I made lunch when we got home and Blythe said, "Mom, take a picture of me eating lunch."  So I did.

I discovered a previous day's lunch under a table practically hidden under the couch.

I imagine she was supposed to eat this on one of those recent days when she complained to me at 2:00pm that she was hungry.  

No kidding.

At 3:00, we had a birthday party.  Although I didn't feel that I was overdoing it, I obliviously invited fourteen children to come.  Fourteen!  What was I thinking?  I'll tell you.  We invited cousins and that was six (three DeMartinis from each family).  Our next door neighbors came, with a cousin, and that was another four.  I had asked Blythe who she wanted to invite to her party and she told me two friends from the neighborhood, so we were up to twelve.  Then our dear friends Jack and Simon who are practically like cousins, which made fourteen, plus Brandt and Blythe.  That's sixteen children.  Fortunately we have a much larger space to accommodate all those little bodies, but even still, they sure make a lot of noise.  A lot.   

Blythe received wonderfully fun presents from everyone, and everyone was super interested in what she was opening.  She got jewelry and a purse, a Cinderella Barbie, two books, an umbrella, a marionette and a mirror to construct and decorate, Little Pet Shops, crayons, a new swim towel and goggles.  It was all fantastic and she loved it.  Oddly, it wasn't enough because later in the evening, when Kent was home, we opened a couple more from us, and she was thrilled to be opening presents again.  She also must have asked me about a dozen and a half times when our friend "Uncle" David Davies was coming over to bring her a present. 

Blythe is winking at Mikayla who made her a poster size picture for her room.

It is cool.

So is Blythe.

After presents, we moved the party outside to do a pinata.  Although she has expressed no interest in having a pinata until this afternoon, when we were picking up balloons at the party store she suddenly decided her party would not be complete without one, so we selected a pink pig pinata (say that three times fast!).  We went in order from Blythe, the birthday girl, then from youngest to oldest, leaving Blake to finish it off.  The candy was mobbed, the little kids cried because they didn't get enough, and the older kids were made to share.  

This is from video taken by Brandt.

On the video he says, "This is my sister, Blythe.  She is four!"

Then he held up his four fingers obstructing the picture.

I am including this picture of Crew blindfolded and whacking the pig because it shows Brandt's participation in the pinata.

He did not want to take a turn swinging, he just wanted to work the rope.

After the poor pink pig pinata has been pulverized, we went back inside for cake and ice cream. I made it super easy on myself and bought a cake from the grocery store, but I didn't call ahead so the decoration left something to be desired.  Oh well.  I don't think Blythe cared.  She and Brandt fought over who would get which B.  Both wanted the yellow one, but since it was Blythe's birthday, she got whatever she wanted and Brandt had to be happy with the remainders.  In the end, he opted for the green H.

Wish coming true and she got all four in one breath.

As a final birthday party activity, we ran through a sprinkler contraption Mikayla and I constructed the day before.  She saw the thing on pinterest, and together we put it together.  The kids loved it, although it was a bit chilly that afternoon so not everyone ran through, and those who did almost instantly complained of being cold. 

Brandt running through the sprinkler, with Susie and Ashlyn.

We didn't get a lot of takers.

Here are most of the kids who were here from the party. 

Luke, Ashlyn, Blythe the birthday girl, Ava, Makenna

Crew, Simon, Brandt, Griffin, Blake, Jack

The Josephsons from next door (4) had already gone home, as had Susie Clark.

We also have Ashlyn who is Brandt's age instead of her sister Shaylee who is Blythe's friend.

This is the poster Mikayla made for Blythe which is now hanging in her bedroom.

So cute!

 

We had a brief lull between party and dinner when the children played with some of Blythe's presents.  Then Grandma Sue joined us for dinner and more present opening.  When I asked Blythe what she wanted to have for her birthday dinner, she replied, "Pancakes!"  I was grateful because pancakes are easy and quick. Blythe got to open a couple of presents from us and from Grandma, and by then, we were partied out.  What a fun day and what a happy time to celebrate.

Blythe is a delight.  She can write her name and lots of other letters.  She likes to write notes to friends and family.  She doesn't like to feel that she is at all behind Brandt, so she has wanted to do homework just like Brandt, coloring, doing math, and "reading."  She makes up wonderful stories which she tells to us at night during story time.  She is confident and very silly.  She eats well, especially when she pretends to be an animal and we feed her while she is under the table.  She likes Primary, she likes to be with other people, and she likes girly things--princesses, fancy stuff, pink.  She is an artist too, and loves to do crafts.  We are so happy to have her in our home.