Oli's 4th Birthday

We’ve had a busy week celebrating Olivia’s 4th birthday. I’ve spent the past couple of weeks painting, sewing, gluing, and drilling to surprise Olivia with a room makeover on her birthday. Keeping this process a secret was pretty challenging. She knew I was up to something, and said things like, “What’s all that stuff in the shower for?� and “Mommy, why is your drill in my room?� On Tuesday, after Yale got off work, he kept the girls busy downstairs while I hung the silky pink and orange curtains, hoop canopy, bright pink mirror, clock, and wooden letters spelling her name. Once everything was hung, Olivia came upstairs to see her surprise. It took a couple of minutes for her to take everything in and then she got excited. Her favorite part was the hoop canopy, which I decorated with colorful ribbon and flowers, and it hangs above a stuffed purple chair. Later she said, “Mommy, you’re room’s not beautiful.� She used to want a room just like mine, with beads on the curtains and fancy things hanging on the walls. Then she said, “My room is bery, bery beautiful!� That night, Olivia got to choose where we would eat for her birthday dinner. She picked Red Robin. Luckily, Tuesdays are the days that Red, the person dressed as a giant, furry robin, is there. The girls got a big kick out of giving Red high fives, and they always love getting a balloon there, too. After the wait staff delivered an ice cream sundae and sang Happy Birthday to Olivia, I asked if she liked that, and without hesitation she said, “No.� At the end of the week Yale’s parents flew here for the weekend to help us celebrate Olivia’s birthday. The night before her party, they took Olivia shopping for a new bike. She picked out a purple and pink sparkly two-wheeler with training wheels. She had to have that one because it was “more beautiful� than the others. She was quite proud to be the new owner of a two-wheeler and spent about an hour riding it after she got home. The next day her Aunt Beckie, Uncle Sam, cousins Ry and Kylie, special family friend, Susan (a.k.a. Zaza), Kaul Grandparents, and preschool friend, Jenna and her mom (Ann) joined us for Olivia’s party. Zaza brought over a huge box and cut a door and windows in it, which provided the kids with hours of entertainment. Olivia had a fabulous time playing dress-up with Jenna. After lunch, we sang Happy Birthday and she got to blow out her candles on her purple and pink birthday cake. Overall, I think Olivia would agree that the party was a success.