What's Better Than a Birthday?

Two birthdays, that's what!

I have just arrived back from a fabulous vacation to Florida, and I am feeling so refreshed and ready to take on the next set of Indiana Step Mama challenges.
Today, anyway. Ask me again tomorrow, Hehe.

Callie turns 7 today! Crazy, madness, insanity I tell you.

I know all moms are all "Oh Em Gee, they were 2 literally yesterday...blah blah blah."
But it's true! I met sweet little Callie when she was just 5 years old, and to look back at photos and videos of that, I am shocked! She has changed so much.

Her sister is turning 2 on Valentine's Day, which means we have some fabulous celebrations coming up.

I love planning parties. I always have, and I probably always will.
I feel so lucky that this year, we haven't had to put up any fights on when/where parties will be and I am so thankful for that. (Silent thank you to birth mother.)

Callie is the best. She loves all things girly- makeup, pop music, dresses, Frozen, mermaids, etc. But she also totally loves digging around in the dirt, getting messy, making potions and playing with Ninja Turtles. Donatello is the best, BTW. She also recently starting talking boyfriends, but that's for a whole other post, y'all...

So, her wish was for a Ninja Turtle cake, which is currently in the works. I 100% am not trying to be supermom...full disclosure...someone else can take 5 hours to make that, cause this lady is NOT.
We are going straight to the Kingdom of Hell, AKA Chuck E Cheese, where my beautiful doll child can tear around lawlessly, covered in pepperoni pizza grease, ninja turtle mask and lipstick with a couple other equally terrifying children. I am so over the moon about the whole thing.

I got party favor bags to make, and tonight we are making Ninja Turtle cookies (wait for the photos!) and also turning small, wooden circles into awesome Ninja Turtle disks. OH EM GEE.
And, after that, we can play Princess and fling Donatello through the air on his new zipline (Best. Gift. Ever.)

In other news, I realized that this is what being a mom/step-mom/pseudo-mom/part-time mom is all about. I feel so *duh* why has it taken me this long to realize small people with small opinions don't get to decide how I love my child?

I am beyond lucky.
I will keep y'all updated with photos of Ninja Turtle shenanigans...

(Ninja Turtle cousin twins, Aunt Alex on the left with son Jackson, and Callie in her winter coat and Donatello gear! Halloween 2014)