Maggie's 3rd birthday extravaGANza

Holy pink princesses, did Maggie have herself a bash on Saturday!  Her actual 3rd birthday isn't until Wednesday, the 24th, but we had the party this weekend so everyone could come.  We'll have a little party with just us on her real birthday.

My parents came up this past weekend so Maggie played hooky from daycare on Friday and made cookies with my mom in the morning.  Apparently, she started harassing my mom at about 7:24, after I left for work, so they got underway on the cookies immediately.

Rolling out the dough.

Eating the fruits of her labors.  Yum!

My brother, his wife and their 9 month old came up too and we were so glad to see them.  I'm not quite sure Maggie was as ecstatic to see Nuria as the rest of us were but she did okay.  There were a couple of instances where Maggie would notice that someone was holding Nuria and she would suddenly be sitting on that person's lap as well.  

We took Maggie and Nuria for an evening wagon ride.  It looks like it was midnight in this picture, but I assure you, it was not.

Maggie's party had a Cinderella theme, in that we had Cinderella plates and napkins, and a garbage bag-esque table cloth.  We had all of Maggie's favorite foods, as usual, including kielbasa, pierogies, buttered noodles, black olives and pickles.  I think she is really from Pittsburgh and not China.  We ate lots of food and talked a lot and then it was time for cake!  I asked my mom to make Maggie's cake because she made one similar to it when I was a kid.

Maggie was most excited at the sight of the Cinderella Barbie, whose hair looks remarkably like S@rah P@lin's.

Princesses hanging out.

Maggie RAKED it in at her party.  I am going to put pictures on Flickr because Blogger is taking an interminable amount of time to load.  Maggie received: a Bitty Baby, who has already been stripped and is sitting in the stroller, a doll highchair that is currently holding a big My Little Pony, some very cute clothes including "pocketty" jeans, some books, a piggy bank with "moneys" in it, pink cowboy boots with light up stars on the sides, and a Cinderella dress, crown and her personal favorite, light up, high heeled "glass" slippers.  Awesome.  My dad made her an easel on which she has already had big fun drawing.  We had a lot of fun at her party and people were extremely generous.  Emma sent Maggie a package that we let her open earlier in the weekend and it included the coolest "Guangdong Girl" t shirt.  I got a little choked up as I sat there and watched her open gifts from all of her family members who love her so much.  Just 3 years ago, she was about to arrive at the orphanage where she lived for almost the first year of her life.  What would her third birthday have been like if we didn't have her for a daughter?  I am so very thankful for my sweet daughter and I love her very, very much.  Happy early 3rd birthday, sweet Maggie!