71Happy birthday Ellie!
Read and review,
Rhyleigh xoxox
You are cordially invited to
Ellie's 6th birthday high tea
24th August at the Calamari Castle
Dress to impress
RSVP by August 20th
See you there!
"Happy birthday baby!" Ben sang, as Ellie came stood at the top of the stairs, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Come here, gorgeous!"
With her arms out, she took the stairs three at a time, throwing herself at her father. Holding her off the ground, he spun the little girl around.
"Happy birthday gorgeous girl", he whispered, kissing her cheek. "Ready to party?"
Ellie, at six years old, had requested a birthday party with all her friends from school, and her family birthday party had been shifted from the day of her birth to the night before. All her presents had been opened, and she had consumed her weight in chocolate cake (bouncing off the walls with Ruby, before crashing beside her father, unable to be woken).
But it wasn't just a party, she had said so many times. it was a princess high tea.
(Ben had to relay it by Sammy just to get an idea what Ellie was on about).
But a princess high tea was the thing on the cards.
They were giving up the Calamari Castle for the day, in order for a dozen little girls to live their princess dreams.
They had spent the night before blowing up balloons (Nathan complaining how he almost popped a lung- Ben found it necessary to beat him over the head with a pink balloon), stringing multicoloured streamers through the house. And of course, the infamous birthday banner brought out for every birthday.
"Happy birthday munchkin!" Carbo sang, as Sammy flipped a pancake over. "Ready for the party?"
"I've got my costume ready", Nathan added cheerfully, pouring the little girl a glass of juice.
Ellie turned to her father. "Daddy, why is Uncle Nathan wearing a costume?"
"He's coming to the party, baby, unfortunately, we just can't kick Uncle Nathan out. I mean, we'd like to, but he lives here".
Nathan looked wounded. "After all the things I've done for the kid- I'm wearing a penguin suit-"
"Uncle Nathan, it's a princess party, you can't wear a penguin suit!" Ellie was horrified, as every adult in the house dissolved into laughter. "Don't laugh, Aunty Sammy!"
Getting Ellie Rafter to sit still on a normal day was hard. But when she was expecting a dozen of her closest friends and family for her birthday party?
Downright impossible.
"Ellie!" Sammy scolded, for what seemed like the seven thousandth time. "Babe, I'm going to end up poking your eye out!"
"Ruby!" Sophie squealed, as the little girl made her way into the house.
And from that moment on, the house was in full on party mode. Ben finished slicing the crusts off the tiny finger sandwiches, Carbo finished buttering the teacake (a job he really imagined he'd have), Nathan blew up more balloons (complaining all the way), and Retta and Sammy finished making up the girls (glittery eyelids and lip gloss was all little Ellie, Sophie, Shelby and Ruby needed, but they made a big show out of it). Tiaras were put in place, as Ellie's guests started to arrive, bearing presents.
Six was a big age, Ellie had informed her father the night before, as she ate her chocolate cake and ice cream. She was really growing up.
And didn't he know it. He wasn't quite sure when she stopped asking him to check under the bed for monsters- but she had stopped. He wasn't quite sure when she stopped colouring outside the lines. He wasn't quite sure when his daughter grew up…
And yet it happened right before his eyes.
"Make a wish, birthday girl", he whispered to her, as he carried the cake to the table.
Ellie squeezed her eyes shut, deep in thought, as the little girls around her chorused out the birthday song they all knew so well. Basking in the glow of the candles, she puffed them out, grinning up at her father.
"Best birthday ever?" he checked, as Sammy slid the cake towards her to cut it up.
"Best birthday ever", she confirmed, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his nose. "Love you Daddy".
"Love you more", he whispered, holding her tight.