Hadley is four!

Hadley's birthday started out like they usually do - with pancakes! Mommy failed to remember to pick up some chocolate chips for the occasion, but I offered a little Easter candy to help redeem the situation and my easy-going girl was more than satisfied.

As always, I wanted Hadley's birthday to be full of special things she wanted to do, so in the days leading up I began asking her for ideas. Most of our conversations turned into silliness, but at one point she mentioned she wanted to go to Build-A-Bear and stuck to that idea. I was thinking to do something a little more local and less time consuming since I knew the day was going to be packed with party preparations, Caleb's first soccer practice, and Grandpa McKinstry's arrival - plus BAB can be a bit pricey. But, I really didn't want to disappoint her when her heart was set on going there either. When a $5 off and then a $10 off coupon both popped into my email inbox, I felt a little more motivated to try it and thought about how to logistically pull it off with our full schedule, especially since BAB was a hour away. Thankfully, Dave works near the Fair Oaks Mall and was able to take off for a little bit to meet us there and help me. 

Though Hadley was having a teddy bear picnic theme for her party, and the fact that we were at a bear building store, my girl didn't end up choosing a furry friend after all. Instead she spotted a LaLaLoopsy doll and fell in love with it. I don't think she even knew anything about that brand of dolls up until she saw this one, but it was definitely a match. Pink hair and all!

Reid still had his gift card from Grandpa McKinstry for Christmas, so he picked a bear to build too while we were there. He still needed a bit of support choosing but finally made a firm decision for a really sweet little teddy.

Then came scrub-a-dub time!

Hadley finished up pretty quickly and went to pick a name for her doll. Reid, on the other hand, didn't want to stop cleaning his bear. I wasn't sure we'd ever get him to leave!

With her new doll named "Stuffo" and an unnamed teddy bear for her baby brother, it was time to rush home to meet up with NaNa for a lunch date.

I have to say that I was so proud of Caleb. We explained before we came that Hadley would be getting a toy for her birthday and that Reid had a gift card for Christmas that he would be spending. To my surprise, that kid didn't ask for anything or complain at all that he didn't get something. He was simply content to help his siblings and be a part of their experience. He looked at a few things he might like on a future visit but understood why he wasn't getting something that day. It made me proud to see how he is maturing. My heart smiles just thinking about it.

Cracker Barrel was Had's spot of choice for her birthday lunch.

Having NaNa around was just icing on the cake, especially when she brought daffodils and a miniature Tupperware baking set.

The birthday girl even got a special treat from our waitress. Mmmm....thankfully she's a good sharer and there were no complaints when she was asked to share a little of that Chocolate Coca-cola cake with her brothers.

Our busy day didn't stop there though. We had to race back home to grab Caleb's soccer gear for his first soccer practice with our local homeschool team and then head to the field. Reid had taken a nap on the way back from Build-A-Bear, so he and Caleb were wide awake and ready to play on the playground when we arrived before practice started. Hadley-girl, on the other hand, was completely tuckered out and fell asleep in her carseat. Thankfully I was able to park near enough that I was in close proximity to both my sleeping beauty and my rambunctious boys who were raring to get some energy out after being in the car most of the day.

After about an hour, Hadley woke up and was excited for her turn to play outside too while her older brother finished up his practice.

Meanwhile, Daddy called and said Grandpa's flight was going to be late, so they wouldn't be arriving home as early as I'd expected. At first I was a bit worried about how I was going to get everything ready for Hadley's party the next day without the guys around to help with the kids, but thankfully NaNa volunteered to keep my little ones for a few hours so Mommy could make some cakes and do a bit of party prep. 

Not only was it such a big help, but Hadley was so excited to finish her birthday out playing at her NaNa's.

Birthdays are always bittersweet celebrations for me as I rejoice in the gift of my children but feel heartache at how quickly my babies are growing up. Overall though, I think it turned out to be a wonderful day as I watched my middle child's face light up with joy as we made over her, focusing the day on things that made her happy. I love to let her know just how special she is to us - our treasure.