Leda turns "5"

I'm not sure I've met anyone more excited to turn five. May was a looong month. Most every morning Leda would ask, "Is it the 29th yet, Mom?"

And then it finally came.

Thanks Grandma McLendon for the killer tutu. She loves it and clearly knows how to pose in it. It'll now be retired for weekly ballet lessons only...but it was sure fun to wear out and about for a few days!

My friend Emily has long ago joked that her birthday month is her "birthday season" and I think Leda will most likely follow that suit. We sure strung out her birthday celebrations---though not all intentional. Getting diagnosed with strep throat with an accompanying fever ranging from 102.9-103.4 really can put a damper on birthday celebrations. But we got it all done. Even if we did drag it out over about four days and things were a bit out of order.

First, was a celebration at school. This was her last time celebrating her birthday at Cottage Preschool---Grandma's school. It was bittersweet, for sure.

We made a bouquet of homemade goodies together



And with a fresh coat of hot pink fingernails, she posed for a photo before taking the goods to school


Birthday Breakfast wouldn't be the same without Grandma coming over


and without 5 candles in her biscuits and gravy


and definitely wouldn't be the same without Grandpa McLendon on skype singing his little heart out!




This year wasn't her party year (we do parties every other year), but my folks have for years had season tickets to the South Coast Repertory (the plays for young audiences) where they routinely take two of our children at a time to see a play. They so kindly gave us their tickets this weekend so we could take Leda and her friend in honor of this exciting birthday.

Aaron and I took the girls to see "Ben and the Magic Paintbrush" and we had a ball!



Leda and Sasha

These gals are two peas in a pod. We had some time to kill before the play started, so what did these two sweet ones do while waiting around on the grass?

Started out with friendly girl conversation


and then Sasha convinced Leda to do a log roll down the hill.


Loved it! Grass stains and all.
>


After the play, they didn't want to get up out of their seats, they wanted the play to keep on going!



But once the theater cleared, they realized they had to get up as well and it was off to the patio for autographs from the actors.






After the play we met up with Grandma, Grandpa and her brothers at The Rainforest Cafe for some dinner of mac n cheese.


While waiting for dinner to be served, we escaped for a bit to hit the indoor carousel for a birthday ride!



And then later on enjoyed attention with singing and an exploding lava cake!



Once all the sickies were feeling better from strep, we opted to have Grandma & Grandpa over for a family dinner where we would also dish out some presents and blow out the candles to her cake.


All she wanted this year was a purple candy cake with Ariel on top. NOT a mermaid cake, mind you...but specifically, "I just want lots of candy on it and then Ariel on top...you know, just hanging out, Mom"


Where she came up with these specifics? I'll never know. But her wish was my command!


But funny sidenote: When we served up the kids their pieces of cake, the only thing Leda ate off her entire plate was the ring pop. Nothing else. Chase picked off the candy and left the cake, and of course Spencer ate the entire thing and asked for seconds.

Aunt Kiki had to be on skype this time around--too bad we couldn't dish her up a piece of cake, though!


Thank you everyone for the fun presents



And to end our night: Our routine family shot


We've all grown up a bit since her first birthday shot taken in this same spot, huh?



Oh how we love this girl, and I thank my Heavenly Father for her every day.



Happy Birthday Leda-Lou!