Charlotte turned four today – a very momentous occasion (for her and us).
She’s been talking about her birthday for several months, and today it finally arrived. Although, because her party isn’t until Saturday, it feels as though only one birthday shoe has dropped (for her and us).
We let the kids choose the meals on their birthdays, and when I asked her last night what she wanted for breakfast, she responded, “peanut butter sandwiches.” She sometimes confuses the words “dinner” and “breakfast,” so I confirmed, “For breakfast?” She thought for a moment before adding, “and blueberries.”
She did change her mind when she woke up and decided on cereal. Luke, who was hoping for waffles, was somewhat disappointed. (But his birthday’s not until February.)
Regardless of breakfast selection, Luke shared in Charlotte’s joy. He’s very excited and happy for her. When I asked him a couple of weeks ago what he wanted to get his big sister for her birthday, he immediately replied, “a castle,” very definitively, as if he had been thinking about it for a while and knew exactly what she wanted. I’m not sure of what he meant specifically because they already have a Fisher Price Little People® castle that they both love. But hey, it’s the thought that counts, and she does love castles.
Along similar lines, Charlotte declared a month ago that she wanted a “Princess Party.” We were a little disappointed initially because it’s a somewhat generic theme, and we never envisioned having a pink, frilly, princess daughter. Thankfully, while she does love pink and princesses, she has many other interests that don’t fall along gender lines.
That being said, we spent today finalizing the ‘princess adventure’ for her party. It’s a type of obstacle course that Charlotte is completely thrilled about. I’ve gotta say, I’m pretty psyched, as well.
Here’s a summary:
The Princess Quest: Storming the Castle to Save the ‘Little Prince’
A Quest to Commemorate the Birth of Princess Charlotte Fiona
- Cross the ‘Enchanted Forest’ (a sizeable rock garden with small shrubs and trees that is located at the side of the house).
- Seize the ‘Sword of Strength’ (mini-sword made from drinking straws) from the Magical Tree Stump (an ice storm casualty).
- Pass through the ‘Towering Trees’ and climb the ‘Hill of Hope’ (the upward slope at the edge of our yard).
- Descend the ‘Slippery Slope’ to the ‘Dragon’s Lair’ (the dragon is being played by, yes, yours truly).
- Run under the ‘Fountain of Renewal’ (Charlotte’s flower sprinkler).
- Acquire the ‘Marble of Wisdom’ from the ‘Trunk of Knowledge’ (another ice storm casualty).
- Crawl through the ‘Tunnel of Atonement’ (the kids’ toy nylon tunnel).
- Storm the Castle (our swing set) and climb the ‘Wall of Honor’ (the rock climbing wall) or ‘Ladder of Liberation’.
- Rescue the ‘Little Prince’ (Luke’s baby boy doll) and slide to freedom.
- Present the rescued prince to the ‘Wise Sand Turtle’ (Charlotte’s turtle sand box).
I… er, I mean Charlotte… can’t wait for the party and the quest. She spent most of the day practicing. For a couple of the run throughs, she was joined by her friend and neighbor.
When she proudly told him, “I’m four today,” his classic response was, “I’m four today, too.” (Funny because he turned four a couple of months ago. Sure, he’s four today, but he was also four yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. I love kids.)
I must say, I do love my four year old. I love her today, and I’ll love her for the next 364 days that she’s four (at which point I’ll love my five year old). It seems like such a long time, but each day does go by so quickly. As they say, every day’s an adventure. You might even call it a quest.
I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘mac & cheese,’ and good luck storming the castle!
