Happy 3rd Birthday Lauren (and Video - Part 1)

We had a stay at home family celebration for Lauren's 3rd birthday this year. Here are a few snapshots:

A homemade birthday banner with balloons.

Kayla put together this garland herself with the paper scraps.

Sitting back and chomping on her birthday dinner - deep fried chicken wings!

Lauren's two favourite things: sand and water. So I made her this cake, which Kayla helped to decorate.

Another year older.

Lauren and her cousins (and to the far right is Timmy, who is actually Lauren's uncle!)

Finally she looks at the camera! Lauren with her amazing grandparents.

And while she didn't have much attention and focus by the end of the night to open her presents, I was pleasantly surprised that she was willing to rip off the wrapping paper on her own. Last birthday she still was hesitant with her hands that we had to unwrap all her presents for her. We did hand over hand (if she let us). But yesterday, she was willing to unwrap the gifts on her own (had she not been so tired). Must be all those sensory hand activities at school that has helped her along!

Lauren's 3 year video. I'll be making a part 2 as when I look back at her birthday videos from 1 and 2 years old (posted on the page marked Videoes on this blog), I realize that slide show movies with inserted video footage from her first birthday are so much more fun to watch and savour over then just only pictures.