Gabi's 5th Birthday

Our big girl is 5 years old already. It has been such an amazing five years for us. I would invite you, if you have the time, to look back at Gabi's original blog from when she was a baby, and when Mommy and Daddy were still figuring out parenting, not to mention this whole blogging thing.


Happy Birthday to our sweet Gabi girl!


Gabi helped bake this chocolate chip cookie cake.


Gabi shows off that she is five years old with her blue-frosting-tinged fingers.
We had a family birthday dinner with Lolo, Lola, Ninang, and Cousin Steven on Gabi's birthday. She requested specifically that Mommy cook her chicken pot pie instead of our going out to eat. Cousin Steven was almost as excited as Gabi about the several dozen balloons Mommy and Daddy filled her bedroom with.


Opening a birthday present from Lolo and Lola.


Steven knows all about static electricity.
We were all treated to a demonstration.
Gabi's big birthday present from Mommy and Daddy was a big girl bike. We couldn't figure out how to wrap the bike, so we wrapped the basket for the bike instead.

Gabi (genuinely excited): Ooh! It's a basket to put stuff in.
Dadday: Well, it's a basket for your bike. Do you have a bike?
Gabi (confused): Um... no...
Daddy: Really? Well, let's go look in the garage.

Gabi is surprised and excited when she opens the door.
"Mommy, I didn't know I had a bike in the garage!"


Bella was also excited about the new bike and kept running in front of it.


Gabi is now very good at making sharp turns and stopping abruptly.


No crazy two-year-olds were injured in the making of this blog post.
For Gabi's party, she requested that her friends come over dressed up like princesses, so they could have a tea party. If this sounds familiar, it's because it's exactly what she had for her birthday party last year. We fancied it up more this year, though.


Mommy had a treasure hunt in the living room to find pendants.
Snow White Veda found one hidden on the couch.


After finding the pendants, the girls used them to make necklaces.
Cinderella Samantha is hard at work on hers.


Afterwards, we had high tea with sandwiches cut into butterfly and heart shapes.
Tinkerbell Gabi enjoys a strawberry at her princess luncheon.


And of course there were presents!


A thank-you hug
Bella has grown into Gabi's Cinderella dress just as Gabi was growing out of it. Gabi got this dress for Halloween 2007 when she was 2 1/2 (Bella's current age), and it has remained her favorite princess dress for special occasions like Halloween 2008 and Gabi's 4th birthday. Gabi had originally requested to wear it again today, but agreed to go with the Tinkerbell dress she got for her birthday last year, upon finding out that Bella didn't have a princess dress to wear. Annabelle was very excited to get to wear the big girl dress, as you can see from this picture.


Cinderella Bella is less reserved than Cinderella Gabi was at her age.


Bella was also excited about the birthday cupcakes...


...and having real juice in the tea cups we usually only have for pretend drinking.

Gramma Jane, Grampa, and Uncle Brian all came out to celebrate with Gabi girl. They were dismayed to find out they weren't allowed to sit at the princess table at lunch. It was for princesses only, and neither Gramma Jane nor Grampa were wearing a dress (which is apparently a prerequisite for princess-ness).


A thank-you hug for Gramma Jane in the cute new apron she made for Gabi.


Bedtime stories with Gramma Jane and Grampa

Before bedtime after a long day of celebrating, Gabi impressed Gramma Jane and Grampa by reading them all of this new book they got her for her birthday. For more on Gabi's literary skills make sure you check out the post Mommy made just a few days ago. Gabi can also read the comments you make here, so we'll be sure to alert her if there are new birthday wishes below for her to enjoy (hint, hint).