longest birthday princess day EVER

the bean's birthday was action-packed from start to finish.  wednesday just so happens to be the one day of the week that she has several extracurriculars back-to-back, and it made for a long day - but hopefully it was full of fun for her.

she was thrilled to wake up and find what's become a birthday tradition - a bedroom full of balloons and decorations in the rest of the house.  i was so busy getting things ready that morning that i didn't get a picture of her in it, but i did get this:

another tradition:  red velvet pancakes for breakfast.

oh, and on top of everything else?  it was picture day at school.

on the way there, as she sat next to her beloved grandma, she got to open a present.

she let me take this before she scampered off to play with her friends and crow about her special day.

MIL and i jammed home to get ready for the day, but not before i frosted the cupcakes for her class pizza party.

just a couple of hours later, we were back at school armed with costco pizzas, bottles of water and cupcakes to serve to her class.  she was pretty excited to see us.

and the class was too.  i mean, hey - pizza and cupcakes?  duh.  here she is with one of her little friends.  so cute.

when it was over, we headed back out to run a few errands and then right back to school to help the bean get into her cheer uniform.  it was the first football game the cheerleaders were performing at, and because of picture day they didn't wear it to school.  but before the game, she had show choir practice.  yup, she's totally the next rachel berry.  ha!  and when practice was over, we hopped into the car and drove the short distance to the football field to watch.

after the game, we made a quick pitstop for treats to share with her soccer teammates.  they were pretty stoked over the unexpected snack (sorry, parents), and celebrated with a huddle and a loud rendition of the birthday song at the end of practice.

and the last of the birthday traditions - dinner at "the place with the snow on it."

by the time we got home, it was a half hour past her normal bedtime.  but it was her birthday, and there were presents to open.  you can't say no to the birthday girl, especially with a face like that.

the end.

(till next year)