It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!

Happy Cranky 3rd Birthday Maggie!

Well, I've heard of the "terrible twos", and after today I'm thinking of coining a phrase like the "tortuous threes" or something. It doesn't really flow, but it sure describes the beginning of our next year with our little "princess".

I was only able to capture a couple of the COUNTLESS times Maggie burst into tears or threw an absolute fit about something trivial. In the above picture, she's crying because I wouldn't bring her "moon gem"(you know, those sparkly little fake gems that you glue onto craft projects) into the pool. I was afraid it would just get sucked into the pool filters or make its way to the deep end or something and I wasn't giving in.

For an example of the crankiness she is capable of, here is a conversation earlier in the day:

Mag: wah wah wah! (speaking with her mouth almost closed)

Me: What?!

Mag: wah WAH wah!

Me: Maggie, I'm not going to talk to you if you don't open your mouth.

Mag: I want it!

Me: You want what?

Mag: I want it!

Me: Maggie, I have no idea what you're saying. WHAT do you want?

Mag: I want IT!

Me: I don't know what "it" is! Point to what you want, Maggie.

Then she'd scream and throw a fit without telling me what she wanted. It was fun. Just times that by about 20, changing the subjects a bit, and you'll have much of Maggie's birthday.

The above was taken in a happy moment. Thankfully there were a few of those scattered throughout the day. Quite an outfit to go to the pool in, eh? Everyone should wear pink cowboy boots with their swimsuit! Just try to imagine that look on yourself. Or not.

After she got over the moon gem disappointment, she perked up and had fun splashing and playing with another little girl at the pool. I was hoping she'd make a few fun memories for her birthday, after all of the drama. Meanwhile, Joe sat with Dan at the deep end of the pool and watched him throw himself in a million different ways off the diving board. I'll have to catch that on camera sometime, since it's hilarious, but it's a bit tough with Maggie and Sam in tow.

In the evening we celebrated with ice cream sundaes, complete with homemade hot fudge, peanuts and sprinkles. We didn't have cake, because we still had leftovers from her party (see the end of this post).

She can sure be sweet sometimes!

Okay, on to the birthday party on Friday (the day before). This was the first party we've thrown for Maggie - it was a princess theme. I usually throw one every other year for each kid, just to keep myself sane. The kids, Martha Z., James C., Dan, Maggie, Abby E., and Peter Z. start by making some necklaces with "gemstone" pendants.

I just started a new tradition this year, taken from an old friend of mine (thanks, Jessica), where I print off a bunch of pictures of the birthday child and place them under a clear tablecloth. That way we're FORCED at least three times a day to ooh and aah over how cute the birthday child is/was. I can't wait until Joe's bday comes around again - there are a few tennis pictures from his childhood that I'm dying to bring to light.

Maggie was lucky and had her cousin, Leah, here for her party. Vanessa and Sam (Joe's brother) are in Baltimore for a business school internship, so we get to see them here and there. Maggie and Leah had a few problems relating to each other - it's hard when the main communications involve the word "MINE!". Maggie was in grave danger of being sent to her room during her own party. Stinker. Vanessa and I, on the other hand, had a great time gabbing and getting to know one another better while the kids battled it out.

I read all of the princes and princesses a story for a break in the action. No one listened.

Maybe that was because Peter (red crown), unbeknown to me, was ready to fire on anyone who sat too quietly.

While it may look like these two, Aaron and Joshua, are completely bored with the activities of the party and are sitting in the center of everything like useless, DS-playing blobs, they are not. Their feet are performing a very important function. Notice Josh's slouch and outstretched legs. They are "kicking the baby" as Joe likes to scandalously call it. Sam is at his most serene when someone is bouncing his baby seat, and that can best or most easily be done by LIGHTLY (are you listening Dan???) kicking the chair. The boys were really very helpful in feeding Sam bottles and bouncing him, so I let them go crazy with their DS. Go Pokemon!

We had a few snacks before it was cake time - watermelon squares, finger sandwiches in fun shapes (cheese and strawberry cream cheese) and cake balls (those sucker looking things in the silver pot). I should have made more cake balls, because that's all the kids were interested in.

And finally the cake! I tried to make a cute princess cake, but it didn't turn out exactly according to my vision. Thankfully, Maggie didn't know what my vision was. And anyway, I'm too tired to be too much of a perfectionist at this time of my life. Maggie could recognize it as a princess and that's all that mattered (oooh, but if I could have just gotten that frosting color right, it would have made me much happier!).

My kids have the unfortunate habit of blowing candles out as if they were saying the letter "F". This produces more spittle flying than I like. Try it. See?

So, Happy Birthday, Maggie! We sure do love you even though you throw an inordinate number of tantrums. Your sweet kisses and I love you's and your big, brown eyes can melt us and make us forget all of your irrational demands. Hopefully this next year will be full of lots of help stirring things in the kitchen, beautiful paintings and sweet little songs sung by our little princess.