Amanda is FIVE!

Amanda has been five for three weeks but I'm just now posting the birthday pictures. Per her wish, we celebrated at the beach!

We had to shorten the trip to a 24 hour stay because an H1N1 flu shot clinic was offered for preschoolers at the last minute. We had no idea what that would involve, so we packed up and decided to "swing by" on our way to the beach. All five of us ended up standing in line outside the health department for three hours. We even had Sully with us, and he was the only dog there so he felt like a celebrity. As we got closer to the front of the line we discovered that they did not have enough for parents and non-preschool siblings, so Jay took Elizabeth and Sully for a car ride while I took Jack and Amanda inside.

It was not Amanda's idea of a birthday party. Once we stepped inside, the three hours of anticipation combined with a DMV like waiting room made Amanda snap. She went into full panic mode, tried to escape and kept yelling "I'm bustin' outta here!" She threatened to take her clothes off and "be naked" but she was wearing her fancy birthday dress and couldn't reach the zipper. The other parents were trying to distract their children from their inevitable fate, and Amanda was quite a distraction. From the looks of death shot in my direction, I could tell the parents didn't see it that way. But in hindsight I think they would agree that the 30 minutes their children spent watching Amanda was actually a blessing. Even Jack was in such a state of shock and awe that he didn't move, complain, or cry. I don't even think he blinked.

Amanda required "extra nurse assistance" but stopped crying as soon as the shot was over. She walked passed the same crowd on the way out like it was no big whoop. Jack's coma-like state ended as soon as he felt the needle and he screamed until he eventually fell asleep in the car. It felt like an awful way to start Amanda's birthday celebration, but the kids had forgotten all about it before we even reached Charleston. I was the only one still twitching when we reached the beach.

When we finally pulled up to my parents' house, we were greeted with balloons and a huge "Happy Birthday Amanda!" banner hanging on the front porch. My mom went all out to decorate the house for the birthday girl, and it was perfect. Amanda was smiling from ear to ear.



Here is the birthday girl rocking out with her new purple boots and a purple guitar.

When my mom offered to make the cake, I forwarded her a "rainbow cake" recipe that I found on tastespotting. I'm an evil, evil daughter. But look at this cake!!! It was so fun to cut into and see the look on Amanda's face when she saw the rainbow. Even the chef looked surprised that it came out this perfect. Thank you Gaga!

It's hard to believe Amanda is already five. I keep telling her I'm going to put a brick on her head so she stays little forever. In true Amanda style, she refused to keep her birthday wish a secret when she blew out her candles. Despite about 10 attempts to stop her from blurting it out, she wanted to say it out loud. Her simple wish: "I wish I would turn five."