mini poppins turns 3

eden has been obsessed with mary poppins since we went and saw the musical last november.  a phenomenal youth theater company (character works) put on an incredible performance, headed up by our dear friend jeremiah as bert, and eden was enthralled.  in fact, she loved it so much she begged to go back again and we did again a week later. and since then she has been memorizing the songs, quoting the lines, and dreaming about mary and her magical world. 

 (michael, jane, andrew the dog and mary)

and this makes me so happy by the way, that such a classic story caught her attention and held her captive for so long.  i just have to say, girl's got taste.

so when it came time to plan her third birthday i had the idea to do a surprise poppins party.  she knew she was having a party but she had NO idea that i was planning to blow her little mind with poppins food, music, decor and even, you guessed it, the lady herself.

right before her party she came into the bathroom as i was covering my face with 'soot'...
e: mommy what are you doing?
m: im dressing up as a chimney sweep.
e: but what can I be?
m: mary poppins!!

and then giggles and smiles and so so many 'thank you chimney sweep'

we had a ruler to measure all of the friends, and jessi dutifully recorded each child's description of themselves.  eden, of course, was practically perfect in every way.

and i may or may not have gone slightly overboard with the food.

mary poppins corn
rum punch (for the grown ups)
mary POPpins (for the kids)
barley water
jolly holiday penguins
uncle alberts croissant sandwiches 
michael and janes pb&j's
sufragette salad
a spoonful of fruit salad

 oh and chimney sweeps, of course

elise made these darling favors for everyone.  delicious little spoons full of sugar

after everyone had time to eat, we had a spoonful of sugar race (which was kinda chaotic but entertaining) and made kites before our special visitors arrived.  

in hindsight the kites were a bit of a disaster; we needed better supplies and more time to let things dry.  but the kids had fun so there's that.

we also had a chalk area with a square for each kid to draw on.  

jeremiah and ally gladly agreed to come in character and it was absolutely perfect.  i mean it made eden's little life, and it was a huge highlight of mine.  and eden's little friends (and some of their parents) dressed up as suffragettes, chimney sweeps, michael, jane, and other characters.  when the special guests arrived eden was literally immobilized.  yall the girl never stops moving, and never stops talking.  but she stood there like this, silent, for their whole performance.  afraid to breathe in case she was just dreaming.  all the kids were enraptured.  one of them even whispered to me 'is mary really going to fly away?'

mary and bert finished their performance and led a round of happy birthday.  then they graciously stayed to chat with all the little people.  eden was in heaven chatting with mp about all the things they have in common and what mary does in her movie.  i died just listening in.  and blessed mary and bert stayed in character the whole time.

eden was really just so sweet and this photo below was taken right after she turned to me and said with the utmost sincerity 'thank you for taking such good care of me chimney sweep'

as the party ended and everyone took advantage of photo ops with mary and bert, i just looked around and felt so satisfied.  not that the party had gone well, not that the food had turned out, but that i had such a village with whom to do life.  eden's life has been so blessed because of the people who surround us.  i am the mother that i am because of the mothers who are bringing up their little people next to mine.  

before i close i just have to brag on this guy.  how many 17 year olds are actually the kinds of guy that adults, peers, and little kids ALL want to be around?  jeremiah is the most kind hearted, cool, talented young man and we are just blown away by the man that God turning him in to (and eden may or may not have a big crush).  we love you so much jeremiah and without you, this whole mary poppins adventure might never have started. you are the best, bert!