Bean's Birthday Bash

It is the most cliche thing that parents say, but...

I CAN'T BELIEVE BEAN IS FOUR!

Because really, if you think about it, if the next four years go by as fast as the last four years then she will be eight and then she is only halfway to turning 16 which seems like a far way off but I think back 16 years ago and...I was 16 and it only seems like I was learning to drive (and getting in an accident my first day of driving but that's another story altogether) so really she's going to be leaving for college so soon!

Phew.

We decided to have a low-key family and close-friend barbecue.  I loved throwing Boy a themed party but it was a lot of work and there's something to be said about grilling up hot-dogs mid-August and kicking back with your favorite people.  Plus, Bean really wanted hot-dogs.  And it technically was her party, even though it technically it was the day before her birthday (which confused her more than I thought it would.)

As promised, I made her a Dora the Explorer cake, 'Just like the one on [my] phone.'  I introduced Bean to Pinterest awhile back and let her pick her cake off of my 'phone.'  Also, a friendly tip: keep your cake in the refrigerator until it's time to serve it.  Especially on a hot day.

This cute little stinker actually ate more of Bean's birthday cake than he did his own.  I guess I should have made him chocolate.  Silly me.

Also, thanks to my good friend S for taking so many of these pictures so that I could actually be in them!

Present time!

She put on her new backpack and she suddenly seemed like such a big kid.  I'm not ready for this.

In my opinion, the best part of the party was as the sun started to set.

A game of football broke out. 

The cousins started playing with Bean's new princess dollies.

It was a great evening.  The kids were way up past their bedtime but it was well worth it.

The next morning Bean went and started raiding her present stash.  (Do you remember doing that when you were a kid?  Having to go to bed the night of your party and knowing you'd wake up to all of these new toys?  I loved that!)  She even let Boy take a turn with her markers (caps on.  I'm not crazy.)

Then she made me a cake with her new playdough.

S and I decided to have her party on a different night so that we could take just her out on a date--sans little brother. We told her she could choose the place to eat and the activity.  She remembers Midvale Mining Company for their awesome coloring sheet so naturally that's where she picked to eat.

It was so great!  She quietly colored and ate her food so it really felt like S and I were out on a date and Bean just happened to be tagging along!

Her activity of choice was mini-golfing.  We had to change our golf-course to dodge some rainstorms.  When I got out of the truck I noticed this rainbow!  Bean happens to love rainbows so she was really excited!

There was obviously a bit of a learning curve trying to teach Bean how to play, but she actually picked it up really quickly and even ended up parring 2 on one of the holes!

What's a birthday date without dessert?!  We gave her the option of Frogurt or Arctic Circle.  Thankfully she chose Frogurt.

We had one more surprise for her when we got home.  We saved her two big presents for her to open that night.  She has seriously been asking for the Dora the Explorer Backpack all year.  Even the day of her party she told me she thought she would be getting it for her birthday.  Thank goodness I'd been listening.