Isla turns FIVE!!!!

Every year I breathe a big sigh of relief after Isla's birthday celebrations are over.  Falling smack dab in the middle of the craziness of the holiday season, her birthday is always a stressful and busy affair, amongst other stressful and busy affairs…  This is not to say it's not an enjoyable time of year.  We always have a great time, and her birthdays are always hugely successful (according to Isla).  Even the year that we brought Strawberry Shortcake to the house, Isla claims she loved it, but definitely didn't want her to come back.

This year, with such a big birthday - we felt Isla was old enough to have her first sleepover.  She'd literally been talking about it forever, and we thought her and her friends could definitely handle it.  She never wavered on who she wanted to invite, and we talked about it EVERY DAY for at least four months…  

Isla decided to invite five of her closest friends, Ella G., Ella K., Kylie, Eva and Macy.  We had decided the sleepover would have a spa theme, and we would keep it simple and order pizza and have cupcakes for dessert.  Shortly after the girls showed up, we started the pampering.  Each girl got a facial, and a mani/pedi.  They all requested "fashion mags", and seemed to have a fabulous time getting pretty.  

After the treatments, we had a fashion show with a silly string surprise.  The kids definitely worked up an appetite, and we had dinner and cupcakes, followed by a "Let it Go" sing and dance-along, a rousing game of hide-n-seek, and generally  just a lot of high-pitched screaming…  Daddy was a really good sport!  

The girls were finally tired enough to be coaxed up to Islas room right around 10pm.  An hour later they were ALL asleep.  We couldn't believe it - we assumed we would have at least a couple deserters, and all the parents were on-call.  But they were so brave, and made it the whole way through the sleepover.  

I'm pretty sure they all had a great time, and Isla won't soon forget her 5th birthday party!

getting ready...

Spa treatments//FINALLY asleep//Awake bright and EARLY

Every year on her birthday, we ask Isla the same questions.  Here are her responses for this year: