Juliet turns 3

A few weeks ago, my baby turned 3.  I still can't believe it!  In those early days with Juliet, I longed for a time when she'd be sleeping through the night, talking instead of screaming, and running wild through the house rather than spitting up all over it.  That day has come, and now that it's here, it's kind of bittersweet.  I'm enjoying the stage she's in now, but I can't help feeling that sliver of sadness at knowing the next 15 years will fly by just as quickly.

For her birthday, we decided to throw a princess party.  She's pretty much obsessed with all things princesses right now so it was a no-brainer.  She's gone through every Disney movie we've ever owned, watching them over and over, memorizing lines and songs and singing them all day long.  A friend of mine mentioned a company here in Austin that will send a "princess" to your child's party to entertain the kids.  I looked up Princess Parties and More, and sent in a request.  I hired a Belle character to come to Juliet's party and surprise the kids.  We also didn't tell Juliet that she was coming.  The result was, well, magical.

All the girls came dressed like princesses.  We dressed Juliet in a Belle costume.

Dancing

Story time

Face painting

This girl was seriously amazing!  She entertained 12 little girls for an hour without missing a beat.  It really made the party so easy for me, because all the pressure of keeping all the kids entertained was taken off me. I made sure the food was out, the adults were fed and the cake was cut.  Speaking of cake....

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We got a "Belle" cake from our favorite local bakery, Sweet Treets.  The sides of the cake were made to look like Belle's dress, and I added the tiara.  The girls LOVED the cake, and it did not disappoint...delicious! 

Party decorations

Our little princesses

Grammie and Grandpa

I think Juliet had a great time.  I hope the other kids did too.  This year, we had some pretty elaborate birthday parties, but I'm really looking forward to going back to a quieter family celebration.  Parties are fun, but they sure are a lot of work!