Birthday Success

Elisa's birthday will always be December 14th.  Ever since I was pregnant and it was likely she would be born within a few weeks of Christmas, I received various bits of advice from others who are parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings to, or in fact themselves "Christmas babies."  I don't think people who have Halloween babies, or even 4th of July babies encounter the same controversy!  But, as most of you know, when you see a pregnant lady walking down the street, that is an open invitation to share your no holes barred advice, wisdom, horror stories, praise, encouragement, and (heaven forbid) belly rubs!

So, in summary, from what I understand, it is important to:

• wrap birthday presents in birthday paper and Christmas presents in Christmas paper
• give two separate gifts or groups of gifts.  Never give a two-for-one, trying to be economical
• tell all family members to follow aforementioned rules on gift wrapping and giving

Basically, just make sure that the kid doesn't get cheated out of a birthday amidst all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays.  It's about gifts, really, and making sure they know the difference between their birthday, and Jesus' birthday.  Well, her parents turned out to be the only offenders of these rules...

Fail #1:  While we wanted it to be special, Elisa's first birthday was one that she likely wouldn't remember or care as far as which presents were which.  With that said, we knowingly failed the first test of commingling birthday and Christmas, big time.  We bought presents for Elisa in preparation for Christmas and birthday, but didn't really decide on which gift was for which occasion.  After wrestling with my indecision and lots of eager patrons on Small Business Saturday (both metaphorically, of course), we left The Treehouse on Elmwood with two gifts, both wrapped in holiday paper.  

Fail #2: I originally thought I had to have her party as close to her birthday as possible.  I would not have a birthday party any closer to Christmas than I had to, but nor would I have it absurdly early to make it seem like her birthday was an inconvenience to Christmas!  But when the 2012 calendar of events shook down, we made the decision to have her party when our family from Mexico would be visiting.  "Really? December 30?" Diego asked.  What a great opportunity to have a birthday with family!  So, New Year's Eve Eve, it would be!  Yes, just one day after returning home from holiday travel in Indiana, two days prior to an entirely new year!  Would this be more stressful of a task than I was willing to take on?  And with crutches?! 

Fail #3:  When it came time to pack up the car for Indiana, we decided to leave at home Elisa's Christmas presents from us to avoid excess bulk in the car, and because she is ONE, and because she would be getting lots of gifts from family.  (I actually initiated this idea, but with the secret ulterior motive that we had to fit a very large keyboard in the car on the way home, one that I had had shipped to my dad's so Diego wouldn't suspect a thing.)

Fail #4:  In preparation for Elisa's birthday party, I thought it would be so great to go all out with "winter onederland" decorations and sentiment.  Instead, I left up 80% of the Christmas decorations, but complete with some lovely and lovingly placed hanging snowflakes from Diego's entire family.  I ended up forgetting the fun white tissue pompoms  as well as the Christmas wintry ornament favors for the kids. Don't worry folks, coming to a mailbox near you!  (I'm starting a new trend... to publicly denounce Pinterest and rebel against all of its disgustingly crafty, DIY, picture perfect awesomeness.  Who am I kidding, I love Pinterest, I just need to clone myself a few times in order to try/accomplish/create a fraction of the things I find of pinterest, ha!)

Fast forward to birthday party day...What unfolded, however, was a wonderful, warm, heartfelt celebration with family and great friends, heavy on love, light on pomp and circumstance.  I wouldn't have had it any other way.  Thank you to all who helped make it special.

So enough talking, here are some pictures:)

 Just one example of Christmas and birthday together, in all their glory!

 Thanking Tegan and Paul for the balloons!

 It's my party!

 Baby buddies Maggie and Colden

 Elisa, Emily, and Elliott, complete with a Christmas "E" in the background.  I love it!  (The Christmas E is actually 1/4 of a completed Pinterest project... the rest of the letters (N, O, and L) will be for next year...)

 Hey, I've seen that candle before!

 Enjoying her pumpkin spice cupcakes

 Yeah, just take the wrapper and leave the cupcake, thanks.

 

 Love from Tia Abuela Lizie.  She's still not sharing!

Things got a little out of control when the birthday girl shouted, "everyone!  Let's go to the kitchen and bang on some pots!"

 One last family picture before the birthday girl crashed... hard

O, Christmas tree... :)