M's Never-Ending Birthday Celebrations

So let's pretend that it's two + weeks ago and I'm on-time blogging about M's big 5th birthday. Are you all pretending with me? Thanks. Now if only pretending my house were clean would make it so ....
Anyway, as I'd already mentioned, there had been quite the build-up to M's birthday with her claiming birthday privileges all year. She also drew pictures of birthday celebration expectations, requested watching birthday episodes of any show we happened to be watching, and told everyone who would listen that she was going to be 5 (and then next year, 6). She really had two main requests though. She wanted to go to John's Incredible Pizza, and to have a pinata. So here we were celebrating the big day (a week in advance because that's when we could get to Portland):

Good times! Nana, Bopa, Grandma and Grandpa Smith, Patti, Jim, Elena, Kyle, McKaylee, and Marlee joined us and it was a blast. What a place! It so out-Chuck-E-Cheeses Chuck-E-Cheese. It is spacious and clean and full of fun. Also, the food buffet is fantastic! And there's plenty of roomy seating that doesn't make you feel claustrophobic. We are officially fans. I think it's safe to say everybody had fun!

Then we raced home to celebrate with the Bernes, who joined us for pink cupcakes (of course). The girl is easy. I considered (briefly) making some fancy, impressive cake, but she REALLY REALLY loves to decorate her own cupcakes and just requested that they be pink. Then she and her sister had a blast dumping buckets-full of sprinkles on them while I kicked my feet up and relaxed (feeling only occasional semi-insane twinges of guilt that I hadn't been supermom).

Isn't she cute? And, as mentioned, this was all a week before the actual day! More to come.