Well, it’s over… my little girl’s 4th birthday, that is. I really cannot even describe the feeling - knowing that my “baby” is FOUR. Of course, being incredibly smart and quite tall for her age, people always assume she is at least a year older than she is. Apparently she feels the same way! This afternoon she told me that she was 4 today, but she was “as big as 5″ and she “felt like 5″. WOAH, there kiddo… I’m having issues dealing with you being 4, slow down! She constantly asks when she’ll be as big as me… it’s coming soon, no doubt. It truly is amazing how quickly the time goes by.
She had such a great day and her party isn’t even until tomorrow! 
She started the day by helping Daddy make special birthday pancakes topped with strawberries (YUM!), though once they were ready she decided she wasn’t hungry (what’s new!?). Then the two of them went for a hike near Devil’s Den. 
When they came home, Jaedyn opened some gifts from us and from my parents (who still live in Florida) and we had some delicious wraps for lunch. Then we went to the party store and Jaedyn picked out all of the goodies she wanted for her party… then Sean came in after he finished at the grocery store next door and added even more goodies! I swear, he’s just as bad as Jaedyn… though I have no room to talk! =) After getting a 3 figure bill at the party store (OUCH) we headed home and I whipped up some of my family recipe potato salad that I guarantee is nothing like you’ve ever seen before! Sean made some awesome appetizers - goat cheese wrapped in grape leaves, grilled and set atop grilled olive oil soaked baguettes with some awesome seasonings. We had an awesome dinner of pulled pork sandwiches and pasta salad with my in-laws, my sister-in-law Melissa and her boyfriend Dan. Jaedyn opened some gifts from them and then Jaedyn, Melissa and I played soccer in the back yard for a bit before Jaedyn got to blow out the candle on her butterfly themed cupcake and then, of course, devour it. 
We were in the driveway saying goodbye as Melissa and Dan left when we noticed fireflies in the front yard… so rather than play Mom and put my birthday girl to bed at a reasonable hour, she and I ran around laughing like crazy, catching fireflies until about an hour later than her bedtime! We caught 10, but one escaped, then it seemed that the word got out because the only ones we saw were flying higher than any firefly I’ve ever seen! We collected them in a jar with a hole in the lid (and screen over the hole) and brought them inside. Seemed like a great idea at the time… letting my daughter watch her fireflies glow until she fell asleep… but we took them in a dark room to watch them and then I noticed that they were barely moving… so we let them go and I made my little girl cry! They gave a few glows as they flew away to thank us for releasing them. It made her feel better to see how happy they were to be free. Tomorrow is her party with all of her friends (and their siblings and parents). Of course, I should totally be sleeping right now so I am not a zombie in the morning, preparing her party which starts at 11 AM, but I’m such a night owl - I just can’t help it! Thank you SO much to everyone who called, e-mailed and snail mailed their birthday wishes for Jaedyn! She had a fantastic day and I’m sure she’ll enjoy tomorrow even more!
CLICK HERE for the slideshow!
CLICK HERE for the slideshow!
