Riley turns 4!

Riley just had her 4th birthday. Amazing no? 4 years. That’s like college, or high school. Feels momentous. Riley is taking it very seriously so far. She talks about, “Back when I was 3…” or “Back when I was 2… and has made a big point about being better behaved because she’s older now. Before her birthday she was technically potty trained, but was having accidents on a regular basis. Now that she’s 4, she hasn’t had an accident in over a month. So weird

This year we gave in to Riley and planned a party at our house to celebrate. We invited her daycare friends (but not the babies, Riley was very specific about not wanting the babies) and some of our friends with kids. More then anything she wanted a bouncy house, so we got the same bouncy castle as last year (from Planet Bouncy, we highly recommend them! Super nice guy, very easy and convenient, and actually pretty cheap even). Riley and I went a little crazy at the party supply store, but I’m happy to report we managed to avoid all things princess (I know it’s a losing battle, but still, may as well try) and mostly stuck with sesame street stuff. Ordered a bunch of play-doh and sidewalk chalk online, and that was pretty much our whole party plan. Oh! and decorate-your-own-cupcakes. That was a big hit.

In the beginning the party was pretty awkward, with all the parents kind of hovering around their kids, but after a while people relaxed and spread through out the house while the kids ran back and forth from bouncing in the bouncy house to drawing on the driveway to playing with toys inside. At one point some parents even had a kids-free zone in the living room where they were relaxing. One thing I really appreciate about Lucy’s daycare is she is very picky about who can go there, and as a result, it’s a really great group of kids and parents.

[What play-doh looks like after 8 little kids play with it. Kind of pretty actually]

[Cupcakes before decorating…]

[Riley’s creation. She took her cupcake decorating very seriously]

[The boys…]

[One thing Riley was not willing to compromise on was the party hats… Pink Abby Cadabby for the girls, red Elmo for the boys. Luckily, her friends agreed with the division]

Some of the kids figured out they could eat the frosting and sprinkles off the top of the cupcake, then just decorate it again… smart kids.

[Bouncy castle!]

Bouncy houses are really brilliant. When the kids hit their sugar high after the cupcakes they bounced and bounced and bounced and yelled and laughed, it was pretty awesome. Riley decided to bring a bunch of soft balls and stuffed animals in the bouncy house so the kids started throwing them all around. But everything is soft! and bouncy! So even when they tackle each other it only results in giggles. Brilliant.

We decided to open presents after most of the kids left (which we learned from other birthday parties… it’s a good idea at this age I think). She got some really great gifts…. books and games and art supplies, I was impressed. It took the whole weekend to open them because she would open one than want to play with whatever it was for a long time… which really seems better than just plowing through a pile of presents and tossing them aside.

Just after her birthday we went to the pediatrician for her check-up. She had to change into a gown for the first time, and they checked her blood pressure, eyes and ears (though she didn’t really cooperate with the hearing exam). Her doctor says she is “long and lean, just what we want” which means she is 33 lbs (40%) and 60% for height. She was pleased to hear that Riley is reading (simple books, but really sounding out words and reading) and that she likes math games (both quizzing us and having us quiz her), but disappointed that we haven’t taught her to catch and throw a ball well… oops, guess we should work on that.