Kyla's 3rd Birthday Party

As with last year Kyla's birthday was a major event for our family. We again had more than 50 guests, including family, friends, neighbors, and Kyla's buddies.

This year's theme was "princess" and we decorated our house to fit the part. The family room was covered with palace wallpaper and pictures of Cinderella, Snow White, and Jasmine. We also showed a DVD of princess dances for the kids follow along with. The Neels were again kind enough to bring their bouncy house, which makes them very popular along our block.

I made another 10 minute movie composed of clips and stills of Kyla over the past year, though this one almost didn't happen. The night before the party after I had spent many hours putting the movie together, I tried to burn a DVD when I heard a loud, unpleasant sound coming from my laptop. I picked the computer up and heard a rattling sound. It turns out that Kyla had taken my Mac's disc drive for a piggy bank and deposited a nickel. Fortunately I was able to get it loose after some shaking after which the burner worked fine.

All in all it was a nice party and Kyla seemed to have a blast. Every year it feels like a great way to end the summer (which doesn't technically end until the 22nd, but most people aren't that technical). Perhaps someday Kyla will prefer a smaller gathering of just her peers, but for now we all enjoy the big blow out.