First Birthday Party of the World's Cutest Baby

Or rather, the world's cutest toddler. 

Yesterday, she was walking down the sidewalk in our apartment yard. When she got too far, I called her back, several times. She turned around, waved bye-bye, and kept walking away. 

Our past and our future flashed through my mind as I ran after her. 

But you came to see her party.

decorations:

 

 

Guests wrote birthday wishes on the back of  photos of her (about one from each month) on a banner, which i will dissemble to make a scrapbook. We watched a video of clips and pictures of her from birth to now. We listened to the Raffi Pandora station (best invention ever).

 

 

 

 

food:

Babies could eat refried beans, cheese, gucamole and maybe tortilla. Grown-ups could eat everything. To drink: chocolate, strawberry, or plain milk; lemon water, out of assorted lidded paper cups with straws.

Gifts:

Kids made drums out of empty formula cans by removing the wrapper (Up & Up brand cans without the wrapper are silver!) and decorating them with paper, stickers, and markers. I left the scooper inside, because it makes a fun sound when you beat the drum, or it could be used as a mallet. Favors: maracas, bird warbler, and horns.

  The cake:

(Everything was make-your-own)

sliced strawberries, strawberry sauce [pureed strawberries with sugar and a little lemon juice], real whipped cream, Costco shortcakes (on Ikea cake stand)

She cleared her plate.

 Then, she played with her friends.

  

And rested a little with her 54" bear.

 

After the party, she went for a dip, the first swim of the summer!

I think she had a fun day.

And we ended the day with her goodnight song, like we have since she was born. Sometimes, she's still my little baby.