Just like that all the celebrations of the girl’s birthdays are all over for another year. Lola’s felt special because it was her first and Polly’s we had to make special because last year we just stayed at home as Lola was only a few weeks old and to be honest life wasn’t quite normal yet with not everything back open properly. Now I have a 5 year old! Crazy to think I’ve had a Daughter and been a Mummy for 5 whole years. It feels like she has always been here and been part of us. Life before her really does feel like a lifetime ago and a whole other life but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

This year her birthday fell on a Wednesday so Andrew booked the day off and after her being super good and only opening one present before we left, we headed to Africa Alive for the day. We had agreed just one present as I knew we would never leave the house especially with the amount of small Lego she kindly received and she would have wanted to end up building it all. With summer traffic it took almost and hour and half to get too even leaving bright and early as it’s near the coast. The weather was amazing and got out so warm I had to sun cream the girls up soon as we arrived.

I didn’t take many pictures mainly videos but it was good. Polly also loved the park aswell as the Lions and Rhinos and Lola loved walking about and being on Andrew’s shoulders but considering we have Banham zoo right on our doorstep I wouldn’t rush back in a hurry as there wasn’t much different there from our local zoo to be honest and alot further to travel etc. We still all had fun though which is the main thing. We then headed home where Mum had come over and laid out all of Polly’s present’s in the kitchen for us. She had even wrapped her new bike too. Again if Polly had seen all of this before we left then she would have definitely not just opened one but them all hehe.

Our lovely friends and family were well aware of this years Troll theme as she just adores the latest film, so there was lots of Troll presents including a scooter which she loves whizzing around the house on. She was also super lucky and got some Disney princess dolls aswell as Disney Lego which she is also really into as she is the perfect age to sit and build all the figures and set ups.

Keeping with the “Trolltastic” theme of course the cake had to be queen Poppy her favourite from Troll’s. I made a 10oz vanilla sponge with strawberry jam and buttercream filling then although I’d love to take credit for the Poppy figure she was actually made for me by a super talented young lady called Hannah whom I found online. She also made Lola’s three little woodland animal’s for her cake too which I kept. She makes the best figures and animals for cakes so I knew this would be amazing and it was Polly loved her!

Mum stayed for dinner which was a Chinese requested by the birthday girl so she loved opening all her wonderful gifts whilst at home before dinner arrived. Lola loved helping and to see what she had got.

Then after dinner it was time to go test out her new bike. It’s another Bobbins bike but this time a 16″ instead of her 12″ which she got for her 3rd birthday so it did last well really infact. She is very thrilled to have a basket again because we didn’t think to remove her old one from her pink bike when she first started learning without stabilisers so being only wicker took several bad knocks.

The next day we managed to spot a Trolls Poppy outfit in the sale on the food shop, I mean what are the chances so of course she had to have that and she was thrilled it matched her cake (which luckily we didn’t cut until that day as we were all full from Chinese.) Deep down I knew I’d be one of those Mum’s who lets their little ones dress up in character costumes because lets face it they will only be little once and these five years have certainly flown by!

Being an August baby it’s nice that she will always be off school for her birthday but during this last year with Covid etc some parties are still abit hit and miss. She has been to several of her school friends party’s but they have all had to be “class bubbles” due to Covid etc so I knew I wanted to take her out for her actual birthday just us, then invite some of her school friends to High Lodge for them to run free and us all to have a picnic at the weekend after her birthday. I always find party’s abit awkward now she is at school as I know I couldn’t really ask her whole class, although they are honestly such a sweet class and I’ve met some of the loveliest of Mums I just let her pick her friends she wanted there. A couple were still suffering from chickenpox bless them as that has been doing the rounds in her school. She literally seems to be the only one not to of caught it. But they all managed to have fun and we just about dodged the showers. I brought a cake and although it was too windy to light the candle we still all sung happy birthday and everyone went home with some cake.

I didn’t take lots of pictures as I seem to take lots of little video snippets these days and make a little clip of the day which Polly loves looking back on of our little adventures and I find it hard enough just getting my two girls to stand still and smile but I know she had a lovely day and that’s what matters. She actually had several days being celebrated so that was really lovely and she was completely spoilt by all her little friends too.

So until next year’s birthday, I always wonder what theme she will give me or I usually base it on what she is into at the time but I love a theme and trying to make it a special as it can be. As I’ve got older I’ve realised it’s not about material things but who is around you that matters and we are truly blessed with some wonderful friends and family in our lives.

Much love

Sophie