The party was a success with a ball pit and mini roller coaster Fab found at the last minute for the weekend from Toy Hire Gold Coast, which is run by a lovely work-from-home mum. There was a 20% discount for the month of February so we scored. We had seven mini people including Phoebe (not counting a gorgeous two-week fresh baby) and they all had a good time and were sent home with goodies I picked out specifically for their gender and age. Our house was in a mess after but not more than one would expect from a kid-friendly event, and we tidied everything up while P had a nap. The only collateral damage sustained was a broken drum arm. I have no idea how the little guy managed to break the bracket; he's got some muscles for sure!
I'm glad Phoebe liked the fruity garland and miniature kawaii-faced, fruit-shaped balloons I made for the tables. She saw the decorations on the Saturday morning and said, "Wow!" so I was pretty chuffed. She also enjoyed the self-decorating cupcake table I created for the smaller members of the party. Phoebe stuffed her face immensely on the day but mostly on fruit so that was okay. The only unhealthy options I offered were whipped-up thickened cream, tiny chocolate balls and chocolate sprinkles for the little cakes. The lemon cakes themselves were low on sugar and free of gluten to suit one guest.
There was plenty of strawberries and melon balls in pretty cups along with pure fruit poppers and all natural fruit and veggie strips, which some of the kids (mine being the biggest culprit) devoured. We also served up chicken drumlets and wings that Fab specially marinated the night before, salmon and cream cheese bruschetta, bite-sized fritattas (I made two types - spinach and cheese, and bacon and onion), organic corn chips (regular and spicy) and salsa, and a large platter of assorted fruits for the adults. I also made a batch of non gluten-free chocolate cupcakes but wasn't pleased with the outcome as they weren't rich, gooey and decadent. I must remember that cupcakes made purely from cocoa without melted dark chocolate does not turn out as well. Another downfall with the recipe I used was the inclusion of bicarbonate soda instead of baking powder, which made the cupcakes rise too quickly and overflow. I reduced the sugar content but they still came out too sweet. The mini banana and cinnamon cupcakes I made for P to have at daycare with her classmates yesterday were a much better success.
Phoebe received a good range of gifts, which she excitedly examined upon waking from a one-hour siesta. There was a collection of four small wooden Hungry Caterpillar jigsaw puzzles, a large erasable doodle-board, a tin tea set, a book about toilet training for girls (which we have already read about 15 times and prompted me to set up her potty), a set of books about teeth-brushing, manners and other good things, playdoh, number magnets, a little wooden flute thing, a warp-around skirt and a t-shirt. Fab surprised her last night (on her actual birthday) with a rocking horse he found on Gumtree. I didn't know he had bought one and was equally pleased to see it. The only unexpected snag is P got onto the horse and insisted it was "too high, too high Papa!" I comforted him by saying she'll grow into it. We thought she would love it as she played with a similar one at a friend's house but she was younger then and perhaps less aware of the possibility of falling from such a height.
I am happy to report in relation to the book about toilet training and me taking the opportunity to ask if she wanted to try out her potty we purchased some time back and have been keeping stored away, is that she was keen and actually used it! She has even asked to sit on it after bath time and has, true enough, produced something (thankfully just wee because I haven't quite worked up enough courage to deal with an explosion of poo that is not contained within a nappy I can easily wrap up and toss out).
These past two years with our little miracle have gone quickly. She has grown significantly from the tiny infant placed in my arms on the 1st of March 2014, not only in weight and height but in beauty, intelligence, "adorability" and cheekiness. Our toddler is a fast learner. Fab was annoying her the other evening while we were all lying in bed, so she promptly sat up and said, "Stop, stop, stop Papa...timeout...five minutes." We had a good laugh and Fab pretended to reflect in a corner of the room as a consequence of his undesirable behaviour. I'm not certain where she heard the phrase about monetary terms but more recently she has been telling me things like, "Mama bra...sixty dollars." She also likes announcing the weather while I'm driving, "Raining. Oh, no more rain, sun, sun...too bright. Oh! Raining again, Mama." It's interesting to listen to the way she thinks when she's able to express herself, like the other day when she pointed to a set of short but fairly deep-looking scratches on her leg and said, "What happened, oh what happened? Mishka a cat." I had noticed the wound the morning before and was concerned as I couldn't work out how she got the marks. It could have been due to a tumble at creche in church or her scratching at an itch in her sleep though her nails had been trimmed. She definitely didn't have a run-in with the neighbourhood cat that visits the daycare centre occasionally but the poor feline was wrongly accused nevertheless.
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