Iris is (not) 4!!!!

I REALIZE Iris' birthday isn't for 3 more weeks......but then I looked at Brooks' crazy work week on her birthday week and started re-thinking a few things. Then I found some bounce passes that I had bought earlier and they were expiring on May 7th. Then a plan was hatched (on Sunday) to use those bounce passes for Iris' birthday, then I could have her party during the day (while the boys were at school) and I could also hang out with two of my favorite friends! Win-win-win, right?

Iris was thrilled with the idea, so w/ one day to prepare, we did it.

What we did NOT do was get any sort of decent picture at the bounce house. 

(Aleeya and Iris with their two friends)

See? I'm a photography pro.

But Iris WAS having a blast.

This blurry picture is my favorite and so typical of kids......all 4 of them were in one huge ball and went down the slide together. It made me laugh.

We came back to the house after. Here is Iris with her "princess cake".

She had no idea. The look on her face just shows how much love she had for that cake.....

she just sat there and admired it.

It was a white cake, cut in half w/ strawberry ice cream in the middle (frozen). Then I found one of those Duncan Hines frosting flavoring packets and threw a Bubble Gum flavored one in w/ whipped cream for the top of the cake. Never tried that before, but it was actually quite tasty. It was like "childhood" in one bite w/ the strawberry/Bubble Gum duo.

She just sat there and played with her princesses for a while. She already has some like this but I always use those dresses for Kellyn to play with and chew on (PERFECT texture), so now Iris has more dresses. Here she is asking who THIS princess is! Clearly I need to introduce her to Aladdin.

And since Iris' PREVIOUS pinata was starting to shrivel up like a raisin the night before, I couldn't figure out what to do. I started thinking, "Maybe I'll just have her paint it all over and then she'll just think it's so special." But there was no hope. It wouldn't even harden up (I rushed the process and prematurely popped the balloon WITH the treat bags already inside). So at midnight the night before I walked in my pantry and saw the oatmeal can I thought about the trap-door princess castle I made last year for Iris' birthday. So I cut a trap door, added the treat bags, planned on painting it yellow or something and throw on some pictures of princesses. I went to add the curling ribbon to the bottom and didn't have any. (go figure), but I DID have string. I taped them on it and it looked sooooo not festive and ghetto. I couldn't help but think it just looked like stringy hair. AH-HA!!! 

Then it dawned on me, I can just tell Iris that it is Rupunzel's HAIR!!! So I cut out a window and put Rapunzel's (disproportionate) face looking out. When I showed her it in the morning she was SO giggly and excited!!!! Phew.

She told me later it was her favorite part of her whole party. That made me feel a LOT better, because I felt so bad about the whole shrivel effect of her other one. She loved telling Brooks when he got home how she got to "rip off Rupunzel's hair".

I failed at getting better pictures, but I really was having fun visiting with my friends......that is when they weren't cleaning up Aleeya's bloody nose all over her carpet or sweeping up the nerds spilled all over the living room (yep, I'm an awesome friend letting them do that huh). I'm just glad Kellyn was sleeping during that time because her FAVORITE thing to do now is crawl to wherever the broom/dirt pile is and mess it all up!!!!

Here is Iris with her new scooter.........obviously so pleased.

(and yes, Aleeya quickly changed into a swimsuit when we got home)

Iris, Iris, Iris. 

I still remember just BAWLING in the hospital when they handed me her.

We didn't find out the gender with her and I wanted Aleeya to have a sister SO badly and I wanted Iris to be a girl. When the doctor announced it was and handed me her, I just lost it.

And then Iris started crying too.................and didn't really stop for the next 10 months. ;)

But man, oh man.....HOW I LOVE MY IRIS.

There's no way to describe her or words to even capture this VERY individual and unique child of mine.

Happy sort-a 4th Birthday to my sweet flower-girl.