Birthday girl

I'm just going to pretend that Anna isn't the focus of this entire blog already and do a small spotlight on her. Can you play along? Good.

So guess who turned 4 today? Yes, that's right. The little miss. In honor of the day, I will share some little-known facts about her and some never-before-seen photos. Needless to say, you're in for a treat.

(This picture reminds me of school pictures from the '70s, although I think the jellyfish do kick it up a notch.)

fANNAtastic facts

* Anna's eyes are two different colors: one is blue, the other is "a little bit hazel," as she says.

* She doesn't like this. She wishes both of her eyes were blue.

* Nicknames she regularly goes by:  

Annabell (this can sometimes morph into Annabell Brown, who is an ancestor of mine (look, it's not that weird for a nickname. This name has been programmed into my brain since I was a child and it just comes out at unexpected moments and rolls off the tongue)) 

Little Miss

lady (this I seem to use most often when I'm trying to prod her along, as in "Hurry up, lady")

Button and Banana (these come from one of her aunts---I like how it's not the typical Anna Banana, just Banana)

Anza (from another aunt, and there's no good reason why)

* Nicknames she had as a baby that are no longer in use:

Princess Pie

Manna from heaven

Annasaurus Rex or Annasaur (I wouldn't say these are totally extinct (ha), but their use is dwindling.)

* She has a very mature vocabulary, but she still can't pronounce the word "message." (She frequently asks to email someone a "me-juss." If I can't have her saying "lesterday" anymore, I hope this ones stays a while longer.)

* I was induced on 6-6-06, but luckily I did not give birth to satan's child that day. Anna prolonged the process until the next day (because 8 days overdue just wasn't enough, apparently), thank goodness for her, but it still makes her birthday super easy to remember. AND she happens to be the opposite of demonic, which is also plus.

(What is that face? Priceless, I guess.)

And I'm too tired to think of any more. I totally overdosed on birthday fun today: too much sun, too many 4 year olds, and too much ganache taste testing while I frosted Anna's made-to-order "chocolate caramel castle cake with flowers."

Happy Birthday, Annabelle!

***Update***

Due to popular demand (ha ha---I say two comments equals "popular," don't you?), here are some photos of my somewhat sad first attempt at decorating a themed cake like this. I feel a need to explain myself and tell you that I split the cake batter between the ice cream cupcakes for her party AND her birthday cake, so there was not much to work with. But the caramel inside was delightful and the ganache was totally good and Anna was happy---which means so was I.