Asher celebrated his fourth birthday today. His actual birthday is Tuesday, but his party day was today! Rilyn and Ella were so sweet to him this morning. Before his soccer game, they made a treasure hunt and the last clue led him to this homemade gas station/car track that apparently they have been working on secretly all week after we put them to bed. They said they’ve been hiding it in their closet. I can’t get upset at them for wanting to give something to their brother that truly was from their hearts! I love how the cars are made from toilet paper rolls!
of course Asher had to add a “real car” to the track! He didn’t quite get the “homemade” cars! 🙂
After that, Rilyn led him outside to show him his big present…his first bike!
I love this picture because I don’t take too many pictures that capture the love that Rilyn and Ella have for Asher.
The decoration above actually came about because as I was opening Ella’s Barbie Rapunzel tower from the box, I noticed that the packing material they used looked like Rapunzel’s hair. But I thought, it’s brown so I can’t use it. Then I remembered the 90 foot gold ribbon I bought last year for Ella’s golden birthday and thought I could wrap it around and make it look more yellow and like it was in a braid! 🙂 I thought it turned out pretty cute!
My mother in law and sister in law made this beautiful 17 foot Rapunzel tower for the backyard! I was completely surprised at how elaborate it came out!! They are so talented! If you are interested in something so elaborate or crafty for your next special event, please visit my sister in law’s etsy store and message her and I promise she can make it happen!
And this is Ella when we let her see the tower for the first time!
wow!!!!
My sister in law also made this beautiful table centerpiece!
My best friend, Jen, discovered she has a cupcake decorating passion and did these beautiful Rapunzel tower cupcakes for me that we found on Pinterest! All the directions are here.
For the “pin the frying pan on Flynn” game, I printed these pans and just drew Flynn myself on poster board using Google images of the wanted poster from the movie. (Growing up, I used to draw all my siblings “pin the tail” game posters, so I really enjoy it!)
To see all the party games, etc. from this party, click here.
We had Ella’s 6th birthday party yesterday, and I must say that it was the best birthday party we have ever thrown! It took a lot of help though from friends and family, but with all of us working together, we made it over the top special! I will put a post up tomorrow on all the decorations used, because they were so extravagant, and I have many people to thank for that!
James put his video talents to use and made a 2 minute montage video of Ella’s party! It’s really cute!
the cupcakes were Rapunzel towers!
The first activity we did (while the princesses were arriving) was “decorate your own Rapunzel braid with fun foam flowers”! I made all these braids with yellow yarn. Super easy, but if you want to do it, I would suggest starting several weeks in advance as it is time consuming. I started in November, so I could make one a night in my free time!
decorating their braids!
Ella’s braid was the longest because she was the birthday girl! We attached the braids with bobby pins and a rubber band, but you could use anything.
fancy!
After all the princesses arrived, we made them close their eyes and walk to the backyard to unveil the tower!
wow!
And who was in the tower, but the birthday girl Ella!
Next, we had each girl paint a small paper lantern with their own set of watercolors (given as party favors)!
During that time, we let each girl “climb the tower” (or walk upstairs!) and get a picture in the tower window with the long hair (which were 5 plastic yellow tablecloths taped together that I bought at the dollar store.)
After they painted their lanterns, we played a Tangled game where each girl got a partner and they had to tangle their partner in yellow crepe paper in the allotted time! The judges decided which girl was the most Tangled and then they switched and let the other partner get Tangled!
I think Rilyn was letting out some sister frustration here! 🙂
all Tangled up!
The next game we played was “Pin the Pan on Flynn’s nose”!
Then it was time for cupcakes! I bought a sparkler instead of candles for the first time and I think Ella was surprised, don’t you?
what is this?
She tried to blow it out, but sparklers don’t “blow” out! 🙂
“Just hold it and watch the sparks” we told her…she looked a little nervous though!
am I going to get burned?!?
Enjoying the treats!
Then it was present time! I think Ella liked getting a Flynn doll!
And the last game we played was “throw Pascal into the frying pan”. I bought a 10 pack of sticky lizards and made the girls stand behind a line to see how many each girl could throw into the pan.
I guess it was a pretty exciting game from Cinderella’s face! Do you see the blue Pascal flying through the air?
During the afternoon on Ella’s birthday I brought her Sonic for lunch at school, and brought cookies to her class.
In the evening, we let her pick one friend, Anna, and we took them to Gattiland for dinner!
I’m six!
whooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
They were all finally tall enough to drive bumper cars! This was their favorite by far!
This next picture concerns me, because if I wasn’t so busy trying to get a good picture, I would of realized what a dangerous situation having that baby in the carrier so close to the crazy bowler next door! Ella’s balls were flying everywhere! Thank goodness, no one got hurt!
daddy helps Ella score big points!
Ella was the “score keeper” for Rilyn and Anna. She loved cheering them on!
After Gattiland, we went home to open her “big present”. (Can you tell I like to spread the birthday fun through the whole day?)
This was an empty box. We had set it up upstairs so I told Ella wait until I got upstairs and then she could come up and see her new Tangled Barbie tower!
wow!
Who knew that Rilyn would be even more excited than Ella?!? Having sisters close in age means their presents are your presents too!
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
love the clip on hair extension for Rapunzel Barbie!
The tower opens up to reveal three rooms to play in.
We always start our children’s birthdays with waking them up holding a birthday donut/kolache lit up with candles and singing to them! Ella’s birthday was on a school day so it was too early for her to wake up!
trying to wake up…!
still trying…
blowing out her six candles!
Then our kids get to bust through lots of crepe paper to get to the kitchen to eat their breakfast treat!
At breakfast, the kids get to read their birthday cards from me and James and open a couple presents. I don’t remember when, but somehow, (I just can’t imagine why?!?) James and I turned making homemade birthday cards for our kids into a competition. This year, I’m pretty sure I won. 😉 I might have spent some extra time on the crafting blogs and found a super fun idea! So, here are our cards…(mine is the super cute one…okay, they are both cute, but mine is the bigger one and bigger is always better, right?!) We both chose Tangled cards because Ella will be having a Tangled party on Saturday!
Now here is why mine is so fun: I found this blog where it showed how to make a “scratch off card”. So easy too! I made the windows on the tower scratch-offs for Ella to use a coin and see who is in each window!
scratching, scratching, scratching…
Look who is in the tower!
“I love mommy’s card best!” jk, she didn’t say that, but she might of been thinking it. 😉
Ella with one of her presents!
here’s to hoping I didn’t just give Ella a future of cavities!
Her present from us was a new bike. James took her out and she picked a cruiser! No doubt she is not a speed racer, so this will suit her just fine! (By the way, she did learn how to ride on two wheels. Ella riding circles around her did her in.)
Last night we celebrated Rilyn with our community group from church at Chuck E Cheese. Rilyn also got to pick one special friend from school to invite.
from L to R: Cole, Shaliya, Rilyn, Anna, Jake, Ella, and Levi
This afternoon was party day! She picked a cheerleader theme! James made a short birthday video that is precious!
Rilyn before the party
We had a little dance party while the guests arrived! James and her made a birthday party song list on his ipod that was over 40 songs long!
most likely dancing to Justin Beiber
I surprised Rilyn by hiring a middle school cheerleader from across the street to come and teach the girls a cheer and a dance. Rilyn was over the moon!
Today my one and only nephew is one year old! I love him so much and he is such a tender-hearted, easy-going little big boy! He usually is smiling and toddling around with a ball! I love that we live close to my brother and I will get to watch Caden and Asher (15 months apart) grow up together! We got to babysit Caden last weekend and of course I couldn’t resist taking some pictures of him! (And I also couldn’t resist letting him try on his birthday present we got him! Go Angels!)
Rilyn had her 5th birthday party on Saturday and we invited Cinderella to be our hostess! She was lovely and the big surprise was Prince Charming popped in to present Rilyn with a diamond necklace! (Really Prince Charming was Rilyn’s aunt’s boyfriend who is such a sweet heart for renting a costume! And it was totally his idea!) Rilyn was very shocked and started blushing! Her party was so much fun because I didn’t have to host it! (I highly recommend this route in party planning!)
I always wonder why you want to ‘hit’ your favorite character. You would think the pinata should be the uglystepsisters or something.
So this is how Rilyn’s face was the whole time Cinderella told the story about how she got to the ball. It was so cute!
Let me tell you, she wanted very badly to answer every question that Cinderella asked!! And she got every answer right too! “Who knows the names of my stepsisters? What is their cat’s name?”…
Prince Charming, Rilyn, and Cinderella
Rilyn wanted a Barbie Cinderella cake. I like how Cinderella will even hold your child’s hair so it doesn’t catch on fire!
Rilyn knows her mommy loves to take portraits on her actual birthday (part of my OCDness). But, she got to go to Build-A-Bear next door afterwards so I think she was alright.
God made me a mommy by blessing me with Rilyn FIVE years ago today. She is such a sweet little girl who simply desires to please others through obedience and kind acts.
She is artistic. One of the best gifts I could give her today would be a ream of printer paper! She sits for hours at our kitchen table creating art for her family and friends.
She is a girly girl! I asked her a couple of questions yesterday and her answers, I think, sum up her ‘girlyness’.
Mommy: What do you first think about when you wake up?
Rilyn: Princesses.
Mommy: If you had a million dollars, what would you buy?
Rilyn: a wedding dress (James, do we have a savings account started already for the girls’ weddings?!?)
Mommy: If I was a genie and granted you three wishes, what would they be?
Rilyn: First wish would be to be a beautiful princess. Second wish would be to be a beautiful queen. Third wish would be that all my friends would be my sisters.
Rilyn is a lover, not a fighter.
Mommy: What are you most scared of?
Rilyn: Ella hitting me.
I was interested in finding out Rilyn’s vision for her future in her wise old age of five.
She told me very matter of factly that:
When she is 10 she will be at Disneyland.
When she is 15 she will be graduating high school. (Sorry to burst your bubble, sweetie, but that’s not going to happen.)
When she is 20 she will NOT be taking naps anymore.
When she is 25 she is going to be married, a teacher, and a mommy with four kids (wow! A true mommy’s girl-minus one child)!
When she is 30 she will be cooking. (I hope she will be doing more than that at 30!) 😉
And when she is 35 she will be sitting in a wheel chair. (I told Rilyn that 35 was older than I am and I guess she thought that naturally old people sit in wheel chairs!) 😉
the paquettes 
