(Stuff Jo & Alex Made) - Fourth Birthday "Ambulance Party"

The face says it all. She m just have just discovered she can actually ride in the ambulance, alongside (poor) BG.

Homemade felt "4" crown. Homemade felt ambulance shirt. (Think she'll still let me make her wear these DIY crafts in her teen years?!?) Alex-made "rocking ship." Michael's purchased light-up/marquis number 4. Faded Star Wars tattoos. White tutu. No shoes.

Red burlap and white painted felt "Happy Birthday" banner from her first birthday party.

It was all her idea. Seriously. When I asked her what kind of cake she wanted for her 4th birthday, she told me "ambulance." So we went with it. I admit, I anticipated her requesting a Frozen party, which I was going to have to put the kibosh on. But lucky for us, we got a quirky little Bean who surprises us with her unpredictable predilections.

Francine's birthday fell on a Saturday this year, so we held the party on her actual birthday. In the past we have invited family and our good friends, who also happen to have similarly aged kiddos. This year the Bean insisted on inviting all 12 of her school friends. In the end, we had about 30 people at our house for a lunchtime party, and the sun even made a wonderful appearance. After the party, the Bean watched Frozen while Alex and I patted ourselves on the back, high-fived on another, and sang our family song ("we are the three best friends ..."). And then collapsed on the couch in some version of a hangover. The kind of 30something parents - early mornings, too much cake/frosting, a lot of energy expended on random things like designing cardboard/wagon trucks, blowing up surgical gloves as balloons, and putting bandaids on dolls. All in all, I think it's safe to call this year's ambulance themed party a glowing success.

We surprised her first thing in the morning with the monstrosity that is her cardboard/wagon ambulance, decorated with bandaids and medical toys and a bandaged BG to boot.

Family pancake breakfast.

And bacon.

The kitchen spread - boxed cake mix with homemade butter/cream cheese frosting

"HB" = Happy Birthday; a hand-drawn ambo by yours truly

Melissa and Doug wooden ambulance toy for decoration.

The living room spread - goodie bags, snacks, and a banner of the monthly 3 year old photos.

Goodie bags - equipped with cough masks and surgical gloves (your tax dollars at work), and other child-friendly goodies

Pill cookies. These were my masterpiece. Alex tried to tell me they were inappropriate.

"Is everyone going to sing Happy Birthday to me?"

Kiddos decorating ambulance cookies.

11 kids in total, not all pictured; 4 school friends and 6 family friends.

Mila, Monroe, and Francine.

The sun was out and the kids headed straight for the fire put and the mud pile.

Present time. It was so happily chaotic that I legitimately don't know who gave Francie what. Thank-you cards this year will be VERY generic.

The after-party, a little role-playing OB: Francie trying to listen to baby Girl Menne's heartbeat.

Logan helping the "medical staff" onto the ambulance.

Logan, Francie and Max take a ride. Fortunately, no one actually needed any medical assistance.

Hard at work.

Poor BG. I guess he got smoothed by a car and his brain fell out.

"Let's make silly faces."

Francie and her daddy.