FIVE! and an un-sleepover

Sweet Caroline turned five just two days after little Emmalyn turned one.  January was a celebration filled birthday month around our house (our nephew Bennett and Caroline share a birthday, four years apart) and was soooo much fun!  Caroline desperately wanted to have a sleepover but I thought she and her friends weren't quite ready for a slumber party just yet.  And, frankly, I like my sleep.  I didn't want to be calling parents to come pick up kiddos at 3am if someone got homesick.  We squeeze as many sleepover activities we could into three hours and then sent everyone home to go to bed.  It worked out perfectly.  Jack and his buddy Drew, who's younger sister was at the party, even got to camp out away from the girls in a tent in the backyard and watch a movie.  So fun!

Birthday Girl before her friends arrived!  She was SO excited!

Snacks for movie time!

Favors!  Yummy popcorn from our fave popcorn shop!

Decorations!

First thing's first... pizza dinner in the playroom!  They were so funny just chatting and eating.  And were SO well behaved.  The other moms and I were remarking that this would be a TOTALLY different party with 12 boys.  It was amazingly quiet.  So far...

After dinner we painted nails.  I was too busy manicuring little fingers to get a shot of that.  Then we had post-beauty movie time.  Sophia the First is one of Care's favorite shows now so everyone grabbed snacks and snuggled down to watch together.

 Next up, cupcakes!

The girls sang and Caroline blew out her candles and then...

it was time to decorate!  LOTS of M&Ms were consumed and the girls took great care to get asmanysprinklesaspossible crammed on their cupcakes.  But, I got very few pictures of those too because they were quickly inhaled.

Presents and dancing and squealing and playing and parents picking up followed and then Caroline CRASHED.  She partied till she dropped.  Literally.  Such a fun time.