Maliya Turns Three!!!

About a month before Maliya's Birthday, I started to wonder if changing ages was going to be a hard concept for her to understand. She already knew that she was 2, so I told her that she was going to have a Birthday and that then she would be 3! Apparently, it wasn't that hard of a concept. I told her once and she never forgot. For the rest of the month she was talking about her Birthday and telling people that after her Birthday she was going to be 3. Needless to say, by the time her Birthday actually came around, she was one VERY excited little girl!

Maliya's Birthday landed on Conference Sunday. We had been wanting to get her a "big girl bike" but I wanted to get it some time when she wasn't with me, so that it could be a surprise. Saturday night, after she was in bed, we went to Walmart. What a joke. We got to the bike section, found the tag for the bike we wanted, but there weren't any of those bikes left. We thought we would ask if they had any in the back, but do you think there were any employees anywhere to be found? No. We searched the entire half of the store. No one. Then, I heard someone over the intercom, asking for someone to go assist a customer in the bike section. "Perfect!" I thought, "I will just go back there and wait!" 20 minutes went by before anyone decided to wander over to the bike section to see if any customers were still waiting. Ridiculous.We asked if there were any of the desired bikes in the back, and explained we would be willing to put it together ourselves. The employee left to check, and --what a surprise--took FOREVER to get back to us! When he did he said that there were NOT any in the back, but that they had a bike in the Saratoga Springs Walmart (not in the next closest Walmart, or even the 2nd or 3rd closest...great). So we drove out there, found the bike and a helmet and proceeded to the checkout lane. By this time of night, there were only about 2 lanes still open, both had

RIDICULOUSLY long lines! And the one we got in? The guy right in front of us ended up wanting to make a whole bunch of complicated returns (customer service had been closed by this time). I think that man alone took about 15 minutes. We got home SO late! It was so frustrating and ridiculous!

Sunday Morning came, and we sang "Happy Birthday" to Maliya and she was just as giddy as could be. She came down stairs and saw some wrapped presents on top of the entertainment center. "Are those for me?" She asked with a big grin. She was so excited about them, I told her she could open just 2. Then, the rest she had to wait until after dinner.

She got a stick horse and a book.

(We got Rachel 1 matching present, too. They loved 'em!)

When evening came, I made Maliya go potty. While she was there, we pulled out the big awesome present! She was SO EXCITED!!!

And then came the cake! Look how giddy she is, as we sing "Happy Birthday" to her and she prepares to blow out the candles.

Best. Birthday. Ever.