Cheese Mouse Birthday Party

We celebrated Hadley's 2nd birthday with a fairly loose interpretation of a cheese mouse theme.  She loves the mouse from the Tinkerbell movies named Cheese, so it seemed like a good theme to follow.

I created the invitations on PicMonkey using a photo from our summer vacation.

Since Hadley's birthday falls during 3rd quarter closing and I'm an accountant, I kept things simple and elaborate preparations to a minimum.  For cake I purchased three dozen mini cupcakes and one regular sized cupcakes from our local cupcakery, The Gourmet Cupcake Shoppe.  An edible arrangement for fruit - those things are pricey but soo yummy!  Cheese, sausage and crackers plus some other trail mix-ey nibbles and I couldn't resist some sixlets.

Where I did take some time were these Cheese Mice Appetizers.  I thought this might turn out to be one of those Pinterest "nailed it" moments, but I think they turned out really cute!  You can see my pin here.

They're wedges of Laughing Cow cheese with either almond slices or sliced hot dogs for ears, olive noses, green onion tails and caraway seeds for eyes.  The eyes were supposed to be black sesame seeds but I couldn't find those anywhere and I think the caraway seeds were actually a better look and more tasty to boot.  I made fifteen of these and they were all snatched up quickly once we began eating.

For activities we covered our breakfast nook table and one wall in a hallway with freezer paper and put out tins of crayons.  I don't have any pictures without child guests, so you'll just have to use your imagination.  It was fun seeing what the kids drew afterwards.

My other grand plan was to play "blind mice" and stick post-it "cheese" onto mice I had drawn on our French doors with window markers.  The kids either a) didn't want to wear the blindfold, or b) they peeked and landed the cheese on the mouse directly.  C'est la vie, it was an interesting distraction for oh, about five minutes.

Hadley seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself and wandered around the party visiting guests.  She loved opening presents and every gift was her new favorite.

Hadley Turns Two

My funny, quirky, opinionated, pony skipping Hadley.  You do nothing halfway.  From the moment you wake until the time you drift off to sleep, you are either the picture of happiness with your double dimples and contagious giggle or shrieking "notankyuu" as fast as you can while waving your little hand frantically!

We went berry picking at my Aunt Cathy and Uncle John's house and you absconded Aunt Cathy's straw hat and wore it the entire time.

You ran through the big spray tunnel just like the big kids this summer.

After refusing to even sit on it for the better part of the summer, you now are usually content to swing for a bit.  Slides are still the preferred equipment; the bigger the better.

"I do it" is your mantra, along with "I got it", though these phrases didn't begin until a few weeks before your birthday.  Said with matter of fact sureness, you're usually correct.

You've now tagged along on enough photo shoots with your sister modeling that you're getting in on the action.

"I watch" and dragging your little step stool to wherever anyone happens to be standing at the kitchen counter.  Daddy has been making batch after batch of apple butter and applesauce and you are sure to check each apple to be sure it's okay to go in!

Not only are you running like a big kid, you hop, jump, skip and trot like your sister does at 4 and a half.  I've heard the younger sibling picks up some things more quickly, but this seems a little excessive.  And the little sauntering walks and booty waggling dance moves - I die!

Happy 2nd Birthday my dear Hadley!