To Lila: In case you don't remember every detail of your 5th Birthday....

It started the way every good day starts- by walking into a wall of balloons,  blown up and hung very late the night before by tired parents who reallllllllly love you. 

Then Anabelle presented you with a precious  birthday letter she wrote you.

Then I showed you the felt tree and ornaments dad and I made you . A few weeks ago I asked you if you could have any toy in the world for your birthday, what would it be. Your response: A toy Christmas tree. I wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but this is me trying to fulfill your wish. PS- I would never ever ask the other girls that, I only feel confident in my ability to meet your requests because they are always so simple (THANK YOU!) 

Then I crowned you with the birthday cake hat , to officially welcome the birthday fun.

And I presented you with this nifty contraption to get you to drink your hippy herbs in a pleasant and timely manner (I am running out of tricks and gimmicks to get through this part of our day), which you loved yesterday but would not tolerate today. 

Then I let you pick any movie to watch and you picked, drum roll please........The story of the baby Jesus. And when you asked to watch it again I said Yes! Because after all, you were the birthday girl, and it was baby Jesus. In June. Who says no to that?

Then we let you eat on the couch just so you could watch your "new brand baby", cousin Owen.  The baby obsession is real and anything but fleeting. The other day I asked you what you wanted to be when you grow up and you said, "A mommy with a baby in my tummy".


Then what to our wondering eyes did appear, but a retired Army veteran who now dresses up as Santa Claus year around. You were so stunned to see Him you didn't know what to do.

He showed you pictures of the North Pole, which I'm sure he printed off of fakesanta.com, and you were all excited. 

Meanwhile, half of Elise's face was lost in Owen's Caucasian afro-puff.

Mrs. Claus helped you open your present, sent from the head toy maker in the North Pole, who surprisingly shared your name! You didn't seem to care about that little made up fact, only that the ribbon come off the present and the present be returned to you.

Hi, I'm Lila, the girl who loves Christmas!

Mrs. Vania across the street made you this merry little cake because she thinks you are a  sweetie pie. And you are.

And Aunt Jess made you this little summer Christmas tree  with bubbles and crayons and candy.

It was a very Merry Birthday for a sweet little girl. Thank you for loving the little baby Jesus so much and for reminding the rest of us what the Christmas spirit is all year long. I told someone the other day that I think you were sent to our family to save us all and keep us on track.