Emma's Double Birthday Party

Emma has been asking for months, "Is today my birthday party?" (Thank you, Dora.) So, we had to give her a party. I have been planning (actually, agonizing) over how to give her a proper birthday party for months, without my going insane. in the end, I decided to follow the advice my sister and various websites on children's party-plannning gave, and invite only 3 guests to her birthday party - one guest per year of life. We invited her same-age play buddies, and decided to have a cupcake party.

I found these cute baker's apron and hat for each of the girls, and baked 7 dozen cupcakes - chocolate, vanilla, lemon, peanut butter, and mint chocolate - with appropriate frostings, of course - chocolate, vanilla, strawberry cream cheese, and caramel. (I think the lemon cupcake with strawberry cream won the taste test, at least among the adults present, although the homemade caramel icing on vanilla cupcake was pretty darn yummy, too.)

The girls decorated and ate cupcakes, and managed to decorate a few more to take home. Pretty, no?
I made a salad bar lunch of Chinese cabbage salad, wheat berry fiesta salad, creamy pasta salad, rolls, and lemonade for both the cupcake party AND the family party. (As it happens, Grandma and Papa Busby and Uncle A Jay's family were in town for a temple sealing, and since Uncle Matt lives in Mesa, it made sense to have them over for lunch, too.)

Emma conked out at 5:30 pm and slept until 7:30 am the next morning. I think it was a super fun day for her - a nonstop play date with friends and cousins. It was "the birthday party ever!" (She leaves out the "best".)