May 3

Daisy turns five years old tomorrow.

Exactly five years ago, at right about this time, I was on the phone with my midwife, telling her it was time for her to come. Daisy was born 3 hours later.

Due to a variety of factors, we ended up celebrating her birthday today. First, I brought treats in to her preschool class: yogurt topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream, and chocolate chips.

Daisy ate two of them.

Also, I promise I brush her hair and ask her to let me put it up or style it in some way. My girl loves to be wild and free.

My mom watched the other kids while I was at Daisy's school, and we all came back together at lunch time.

After lunch and naps, this sweet moment happened: 

Caleb was working on school at the kitchen table, and Eli kept swiping Caleb's pencil. Finally, I brought Eli his own paper and some crayons, and he happily scribbled all over his paper. Then Daisy joined him and showed him how to take his coloring up a notch.

Meanwhile, I prepared for Daisy's birthday celebration. I am a firm believer in keeping most birthdays simple, with a blow-out bash on milestone birthdays. This year, we invited our families over for birthday cake. Daisy asked for a pink cake with pink icing, so I ended up making a strawberry cake with strawberry buttercream icing. She also chose strawberry ice cream and requested that we all wear pink to the party. 

That girl.

In addition to the cake, we had gluten-free funfetti cupcakes with chocolate or strawberry icing. 

(Do you see brand-new baby Daisy in the picture frame? That frame is one of my favorite things we do for family birthdays.)

And her pink cake! 

Daisy was really happy about this cake. I think it helped that I made it two days ahead of time; she saw it sitting in the refrigerator and grew more and more excited.

Time to blow out the candles! I think she was covering her ears because she was pretending that the singing was too loud. Clearly she's actually enjoying it.

One of Daisy's favorite birthday gifts was this Elsa doll from her Grandmother. It sings "Let it Go", and has a microphone to go with it. Daisy was enamored of this thing.

After all the presents were opened, everyone tramped off to the woods behind the house to see Caleb and Daisy's "Secret Hideout".

Everyone except this little stinker, that is. She asked if she could have a second cupcake, and I told her yes and didn't think much more of it. Fifteen minutes later, she was still sitting quietly at the table, all by herself, finishing her cupcake.

Sweet Lily must have really enjoyed her cupcake!

And then it was time for everyone to leave, and bathtime and bedtime for the kiddos. I remembered to take a few pictures of Daisy's last moments as a four-year-old, though. 

Holding up five fingers, because she will be five tomorrow! And of course Elsa is in the picture.

Her last picture as a four-year-old! Happy early birthday, Daisy!