Ashley Turns 5!

My baby girl Ashley turned 5! She is a big, full bundle of energy, adventure, excitement, curiosity, goofiness, attitude, and tender sweetness all crammed into a tiny little body. I have always felt like she might just explode at any minute with so much personality bursting at the seams. I love Ashley! She can frustrate me to my limits and I often have to pass her off to Dave when my teaching methods aren't working and I know she will learn better from him - since she is his Mini-Me. She is feisty, tough, so smart, opinionated, loud, and in many ways she is much older than 5. She is also sensitive, and sometimes scared or self doubting. She is a loyal Daddy's girl, a social butterfly, and lucky, lucky, lucky. She tells everyone that she loves Daddy most but she is sweet, cuddly, adorable, and loving to me too. She tries to be so helpful with Katie, setting the table, and cooking. She is up for anything and everything, and always wants to go, go, go. She is anything but a home body. Happy Birthday daring, darling Ashley, if only you'd stay little a bit longer. 

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This year Ashley chose to have a Dinosaur Party, which was the runner up last year when she chose Puppies. I made dinosaur egg invitations that slid open and read: 

"Ashley is turning 5, Hooray! Come Celebrate her Birthday the Dinosaur Way! Stomp on Over and Make Tracks to Ashley-O-Saurus' Backyard Habitat. We'll have a Dino-Mite Time! Don't be Extinct! Roar-SVP Regrets to Ashley's Prehistoric Parents." The invites turned out pretty cute and were easy to personalize with tags for each kid like "Andrewodactyl" 

 We had 3 stations in the backyard; face painting and tattoos care of our cousins Lizzie and Callie, Then coloring sheet, Egg Decorating, and egg on a Spoon races and finally, pin the dino fossil. Most the kids were pretty interested in the activities while a few would wander every so often to take some jumps on the trampoline or visit their friends in different groups, which was just fine too. 

Then we had an Egg Hunt in the front yard, just like Easter

 Pinata Time

 Cake, Ice Cream, Presents, and just like that it was done. 

Everyone loved her cake, I was actually laughing about it because it was the last thing I worked on and I didn't even have a plan. Luckily, dinosaur props made it seem cooler than it was. 

That night we had our backyard movie night with cousins and friends. Ashley chose to show Brave. 

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 The party was actually the day before her birthday or on her un-birthday, as she liked to remind us. On her actual birthday we had to wait around in the morning for Andrew to finish his 2+ hour baseball practice, then we opened her family presents, and then she chose to go to Cherry Hill. 

Ashley got a new bike. It has princesses all over it, which she hates but, she chose it because she LOVES  the bell, the streamers, the basket and pink.  

 Andrew got her nail polish which she really wanted. 

 Poor Hailey couldn't believe it was all for Ashley. Poor Ashley couldn't believe anyone would expect the birthday girl to share. She also got Stompee Dog Slippers, a small Ice Cream maker toy and a Hot Wheels Ramp for the Tub, all three things she really wanted thanks to commercials or other birthday parties. 

We had a great time at Cherry Hill. They love swimming around and around and around in the lazy river the very most and also the dragon slides. 

We were worn out from all that fun! All 4 kids were completely out for the drive home, and then some. 

That night she requested spaghetti and meatballs for dinner - easy enough, and then gave her new bike a try without training wheels. She's not there yet but, maybe in a few weeks. 

Happy Birthday Miss Ashley Bear! We love you to the moon!