Maggie is Three!

I can't believe I have a three-year-old now! Actually I've had one for a week. And since we have officially finished all the cake, it is probably time to post about it.

Maggie was super excited about her birthday this year. She was looking forward to it for months, asking when it would be her birthday and when she could have a party. We finally decided to have one the Saturday after her birthday, and Maggie, always my little princess, decided a Cinderella theme would be fantastic. She helped me make and mail Cinderella invites and for the week before her birthday told anyone who would listen about her upcoming "Cinderella party."

When Maggie woke up on the eighteenth and I told her it was finally her birthday, she was nearly bursting with enthusiasm . We made her a yummy birthday breakfast and let her open a present before Dad left for work--a Cinderella dress and magnetic Cinderella playset. She couldn't have been more thrilled. She played with them all morning. For lunch, her dad called and asked her if she wanted to get "China food" (as she calls it), go out for pizza, or eat peanut-butter sandwiches at home. After some brief discussion, in which we explained what it meant to go out for pizza (we don't eat out a lot), Maggie decided that was her pick. We sweetened the deal--literally--with Dairy Queen ice cream cones afterwards and Maggie thought she was in birthday heaven. Later we had a quick dinner and then headed to mutual. But Maggie made sure that we still had her cake when we got home. She was not going to miss out on being sung to and blowing out those birthday candles.

The Saturday following her birthday, we had about ten little people (and their various caregivers) here to celebrate, including several of her cousins (who still rank as some of her favorite people). We colored Cinderella pictures, read the Cinderella story, played games to Cinderella music and "stuck the slipper" on Cindrella. Aunt Nadine was sweet enough to cut out slipper, castle and crown sandwiches (from my dear friend Amber's cookie cutters) and the kids enjoyed those with grapes and carrot sticks, while the adults enjoyed my mom's easy crescent ham-and-swiss roll-ups. Then came cake and presents. Maggie was only too happy to be sung to again and glowed in front of her castle cake (which while perhaps not a work of art, was definitely a labor of love :) ).

It was especially fun for me to remember a couple fragments of my own third birthday, which was also Cinderella-themed and at which we also played "stick the slipper on Cinderella" and ate castle cake, made by my mother. I'm glad Cinderella was Maggie's current favorite princess too. Like mother, like daughter I guess.

Anyway, enough about the celebrating. I am just so grateful for the three beautiful years which I have had to spend with my little Maggie thusfar. (Can you believe she is one-sixth of the way to eighteen? It is going way too fast!!) My little Margaret is a treasure. She is the most caring big sister I have ever seen. She is the most compassionate toddler I have ever met. She is my sweet daughter and friend.

I love to hear her happy greeting each morning. I love that she still calls us Mama and Dada. I love that she is always using words like testimony and covenants and "reading" the scriptures. I love that she always wants to help and hold her little sister. I love that she laughs when I laugh and cries when I cry. I love that she is ever singing. I love that she is timid on play equipment and in large groups, but won't stop talking if you get her in a small or familiar setting. I even love her little "angry" voice when she says things like, "I'm just frustrated at you right now." And most of all, I love when she says things like, "I'm so 'yucky' [lucky] to have you and Kate and Dad" or "You are such a good Mom" or "Thank you for making this good dinner for us--that's so nice of you!"

No Maggie. I'm the lucky one.