Isabelle Rose is now 5! Izzy is going to kindergarten next month! Gasp! I'll bring tissues. But really. This year, Izzy had her first friend birthday party. I'm still recuperating. I try hard to find the right balance and not spoil my kids too much. I want my kids to feel special on their birthdays though and to be honest, last year Isabelle's birthday was lame thanks to unemployment and burnt pizza.
Friend Party on Monday, July 22:
I brainstormed many celebration ideas. Every time I asked Isabelle what she wanted to do for her party, she changed her answer. I hoped to have an early party for Isabelle while Daisy and Jill were in town, but that didn't happen. I finally decided to rent a bounce house! I found a decent price and liked that the bounce house would provide most of the entertainment. Less work for me. Yeah right. There was still plenty to do.
It was a princess themed party. Izzy dressed the part and wore a Belle princess dress. The bounce house I ordered was called "The Queen's Palace." It had a slide, ball pit, and jumpy part. Because it was a fairly cheap rental, it meant that we had to pick up and return the rental equipment in American Fork. Huge thanks to Jessica for picking up "The Queen's Palace" and to Andrew for returning it after hours later that evening. It was nice that the kids had entertainment that afternoon while I was frantically prepping for the party. Let me just say that 5-year-olds zest and excitement for life is palpable. They were so enthusiastic and eager to do everything. I even caught a few peeking in the goodie bags early. What a great age!
- Attendees: There was an awesome turnout! At first I was worried there wouldn't be because many take the 24th of July (Pioneer Day) very seriously around here. Rosie, Lydia, and Tessa A were traveling and missed the party. Kennedy, Tessa G, Evelyn, Madison, Elise, Adrianna, Emmie, Quinn, George, Cantrelle, Harrison, Louie, and Freddie came. I'll save you the trouble and count for you. 13 kiddos were there not including my 3 children. Some of Isabelle's friends are from Magic Moments Preschool, others from Mrs. Bee's Preschool, some from dance, the neighborhood, and the ward. Izzy is a friend magnet and gets invited to playdates frequently.
- Activities: Bouncepalace, decorating princess crowns, princess tattoos, put the crown on the princess, and Don't Eat the Princess. We didn't get to the princess puzzle.
- Food: Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, funfetti cupcakes with strawberry frosting and vanilla frosting, popsicles, water bottles, and Capri Sun juice boxes. As delightful as the cupcakes sound, the scorching sun made them messy to eat even for the adults. Future Jenna: remember that Izzy likes the look of pink frosting, but not the flavor of strawberry frosting.
- Decorations: So grateful that Jessica for took over in this department. She found some cute princess decor on Amazon. The classic princess set she found included: a princess tablecloth, backdrop, princess plates, a birthday banner, balloons, hanging swirls, etc. I also got pom poms and a cute birthday sign at Target (not pictured). It turned out so cute! The princess cupcake toppers were a fun addition.
- Goodie bags: I found darling princess bags at Dollar Tree. I filled each bag with a candy necklace, a Little Mermaid paint set, and princess stickers.
- Unplanned: The party got off to an unexpected start. A child threw-up a few times within the first 10 minutes of the party. I feel like this is normal for kids but it did frazzle me a bit. We got things disinfected and hosed down and the party went on. I'm pretty sure it was heat related. Sadly but understandably, that friend left. Something else we didn't plan on was the party decorations arriving so last minute! The decorations were delivered at 5:10pm and the party started at 5:30pm. Whew, that was nerve-wracking.
BIO
Isabelle is the epitome of a girly girl. She is the life of the party. She's hilarious! She's mature for her age. Isabelle is intelligent. She is reading! Her comprehension is impressive. She remembers and catches so many details while listening to Harry Potter that amaze me. Isabelle is good at playing alone. She asks when quiet time will be because she can play Barbies for hours. Isabelle is an excellent swimmer! More on that in another post. Isabelle is a dance star! Isabelle loves gymnastics. Isabelle is hot and cold about soccer. Currently, she wants to add that to her already overflowing schedule. Isabelle is spicy. "If looks could kill..." Isabelle is a singer! Isabelle likes to come out of bed regularly to see me and Andrew. She often scrambles to think of an excuse for being out of bed... "I need another hug.." Izzy keeps up with James on her scooter or bike. She dreads long car rides, especially driving on the freeway. The freeway is "too loud." Isabelle wants to start playing the violin. She can hardly wait to start lessons with Jessica. Isabelle is an excellent helper in the kitchen and enjoys baking cookies with me. Isabelle brightens every room just being around.
Actual Birthday on Tuesday, July 23
Isabelle is a girl after my own heart. She had very specific food requests for her special day and I was more than happy to oblige.
- Breakfast: Honey Oh Cereal (referred to as Honey Bee cereal around here). Ding ding ding! My goal of making breakfast is still going strong, so I was cheerful when this was her simple request.
- Dinner: Mashed potatoes and gravy, roast, rolls, and strawberries
- Dessert: Strawberry ice cream (with the Coldstone giftcard)
I suggested several ideas for what we could do on Isabelle's birthday. The library got an eye roll and an exasperated, "I hate the library." (She always says that before we go there and then ends up loving it.) Swimming won Izzy's vote.
- Rec Center: Salt Lake County rec centers are now giving children ages 5-18 free memberships/passes. How awesome! I've been anxiously awaiting Izzy's birthday, so she could get her free pass. We went bright and early on the 23rd to get the kids passes, so they could get into the pool for free later that day. Jess and George joined us for swimming. Izzy chose the Herriman rec center pool because it has a diving board. She's recently become a fan. I checked the wall for an age limit and it didn't say one. We later learned that there was a sign next to the diving board saying children must be 6 years old. Oops... Izzy went off the regular sized diving board a handful of times. To my surprise, she followed James off the HIGH dive without batting an eye! Say what! What a brave girl.
- Gymnastics: Izzy has gymnastics on Tuesday afternoons so she got to go to gymnastics on her birthday! She wore a happy birthday headband. Her class sang to her and she adored the attention.
- Presents: As if Izzy didn't get enough! She got a mermaid tail blanket, swim goggles, a stationary kit and gel pens, Ken Barbie and Wish dress-up, shoes and earrings, and a coloring book from family. Andrew and I leaned into the "not going to spoil our kids role" and got her a bike. We did purchase the bike on sale on Amazon Prime Day. Isabelle's old bike was several sizes too small. It was basically a need. Isabelle loves her new ride! I'm proud to report that we didn't have to put on training wheels. I think a big part of that is the result of her using a stride/balance bike in the past.
It's bittersweet to watch humans grow up. I sure love my sassy 5-year-old. The next birthday in our family is Penelope's. Send chocolate. Time, please slow down. Next thing I know, I'll blink and Penny will be 5 just like Izzy.
