Maya's birthday!

This girl is three!  She got up bright and early to have a three shaped donut. 

She was so excited, but she didn't even finish it. Breakfast is not her biggest meal. 

Then it was time for presents!

Maya got down to business with her new Raya sword. 

After a bath (no pictures allowed) with her new tub toys from pops and Gram, we went to the aquarium and out to lunch with Mimi. 

Maya is scared of the dark, so there were parts of the aquarium she really wanted to rush through. 

She took lots of time showing this little turtle to sea turtles though. 

We also loved how they use lights to make it look like the jellyfish are changing colors. 

Peek-a-boo!

Maya's favorite part, as always, is the hands on touch tank.  There were less things in there than usual, but Maya loved touching the starfish and the anemone. 

When we were talking to the woman at the touch tank, we told her it was Maya's birthday.  She set up a free back stage tour for us! We got to see this shark that was rescued from someone's POOL! 

Maya really wanted to hold this blue tongued skink, but at least the keeper let her pet it. 

After a nice Mexican food feast, Maya passed out on the way home. 

She never went back to sleep, but that meant that she got to help me frost her homemade cupcakes.  All she requested for her birthday was purple cupcakes with sprinkles. I thought I did okay for my first homemake frosting and first time piping. 

In the afternoon I got Maya to try on part of her Raya costume for just a little while. 

After that I found her doing squats in my room. She loves to copy my exercises. 

We went outside to play, but we stopped for a picture in front of our birthday wreath.  Her dressed matched perfectly. 

She might be the cutest little trouble maker I've ever seen. 

After that she left for a bike race with Isaac.  They were pretending that she was UmiCar, and he was Dump Truck.  He didn't let her win like in the TV show though. 

She got off her tricycle to dance to the wind chimes. 

While Ari and I made her birthday dinner, she fell asleep after all the excitement. 

I woke her up because Aunt Madi got to our house just in time for Maya big birthday dinner!  Maya requested steak, mushrooms, Brussel sprouts, and sweet potatoes.  I actually listed vegetable choices for her, and she said "Yes, please, all of them." I added in some bread for the boys (and me...) 

This is her face of joy upon receiving seconds of Brussel sprouts! 

And back to her serious eating face.  This face has brought me a lot of joy over the past three years. 

And last, but not least, she got to eat her purple sprinkle cupcakes!  She continued her trend of LOVING when we sing her happy birthday.  After all of my hard work, she didn't even finish her cupcake because she was too stuffed with veggies.  I guess that is a good problem to have. 

 Maya is fun and happy and full of hugs.  She is (sometimes) a handful especially now that she has realized she can say no or just do what she wants no matter what we say.  We are working on this, and I think it will help lots that she will finally get to go to school this year.