Five

My Dear Rachel B,

You turned five!

You had the best fifth birthday you could possibly imagine. I don't think it could have gone any better unless Tinkerbell herself had flown in for a visit.

It started bright and early in the morning. I'm not sure how or where, but you got this idea in your head that you wanted breakfast in bed. You talked about last month and asked me randomly to bring it to you. It never happened. But I tucked that in my mind and even wrote it on the calendar so I'd remember. On your birthday, I brought up a plate of mini waffles, syrup, juice and your presents. All five of us sat on your bed and ate together. You were over the moon.

After we ate, you opened your presents. We gave you an umbrella (which you are in love with), a digital piggy bank that totals how much money you've put in it, the book Deep Snow by Robert Munsch, and a necklace with a little girl holding a teddy bear.

Following breakfast and presents, there was a scurry to get ready for your party! You had picked out your dress at Winner's and decided that Cordelia should have the same dress as you, so she did. They'll be your Easter dresses this year as well, probably. We curled your hair and you looked perfect.

The day was gloomy, so I let you stand on the porch with your umbrella to test it out. You even shared with Cordelia, which was sweet of you.

Grandma arrived at 10:30 and helped with the last minute stuff before your guests started to arrive. She brought you a pink rose, which she always does on your birthday.

Your party started at 11am. It had a Tinkerbell/Fairy theme as that is your favourite thing right now. You invited four friends from school (Mia, Laura, Adrianna, and Mason) and three others (Molly, Eric, and Scarlet).  The first activity when they arrived was painting terra cotta flower pots. This activity kept getting interrupted by you running upstairs to show your guests your bedroom. Then Cordelia would want to show everyone her room. While you guys painted, I made pizza's for lunch.

While the pizza's cooked, we started playing games. First was Musical Books. Once everyone realized you got a prize when you lost, there was some definite internal conflict happening with your friends trying to decide whether to win or lose. Eventually, Adrianna won. The prizes were Tinkerbell things.

Next, you played Pin the Heart on the Tiara.  The prizes were pixie stix. We had to stall a bit because the pizza's weren't done yet. You all had a dance party in the playroom which turned into the Freeze Dance game. It was hilarious and awesome to see all of your friends and you showing off your best moves. No inhibition is a great thing.

Pizza followed games. I'm not sure who started it, but lunchtime entertainment was all of you telling jokes. Jokes that were not remotely funny. Knock-knock jokes, riddles, one-liners. You thought you were a bunch of stand up comedians! Each joker attempting to top the previous, certain that your joke was the absolute funniest thing ever. Grandma and I were almost in tears at how unfunny you all were.

In true Meyer-Party form, I took pictures of all of you making your funniest faces.

Grandpa did the same at all of our parties growing up. It only seemed right that Aunt Kristi and I continue with the tradition!

After pizza was a treasure hunt where clues that had been left by Rosetta the Garden Fairy led you around the main floor, ending at a silver box with 9 jars of purple Pixie Dust and a note that this very special dust was only to go in a garden where it would help flowers grow. There was great excitement over this pixie dust!

Cake followed this game. We had two for you - Nana made a white rainbow chip Tinkerbell cake.  I made chocolate cupcakes with pink, purple and green butter cream icing and mini fairy figurines on top. Both were your picks.

After cake came more dancing and then I managed to get you all gathered for one last game: Pass the Parcel. The prizes were glow stick bracelets.

Last, were presents. You got a lot of nice toys and clothes from your friends.

As they were leaving, they enthusiastically declared that this had been one amazing party. Mia even shouted that it was WAY better than hers had been last month at Adventures on Wonderland. They were bouncing around, eager to tell their parents all about it and show off their pixie dust and hand painted pots. As they left, you gave them a thank you note that you had made on purple fairy paper and a packet of seeds for their flower pots.

After the party, we had a bit of quiet time. Cordelia went down for her nap, Kingsley (who slept through most of your party) was up. We took all your toys out of the packaging and you got to start playing.

Just after 3pm, Nana, Grandpa and Grandma Marilynn all came over. More cake and more presents!

Nana and Grandpa gave you a raincoat, rain boots and rain hat that you got very excited about once you realized you looked just like Lizzie, the girl in Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue. Between that and the umbrella, you've been pretty much begging for rainy days since your birthday.

For dinner, I made you macaroni and cheese (your favourite) and we had even more cake. At the end of the day, you were exhausted, elated and five.

I am so proud of the big girl you've grown into. You are so sweet, charming, adorable, kind, brilliant, funny and all around incredible. I hope all of your birthdays are as wonderful as this one was!

Love Mommy