“What do you want to do for your 3rd birthday Holly?”
“I want to jump in the waves!”
“OK!”
When I wrote Holly’s birthday down on our family calendar months ago, turning the pages ahead to November, I had no idea where we would be when our little curly-haired sprite turned three. I tucked away some cake mix, some pink frosting with sprinkles (her choice) and a few gifts in preparation for Holly’s day.
Small sweet gifts from new friends
As it turned out we were in Magdalena Bay for the celebration. On her birthday morning, Holly opened her gifts, we enjoyed fresh scones with butter and jam and then set off for — where else? — the beach. We’d spread the word to the few other cruising boats also anchored in Man o War Cove and as we stood on the shore watching them come in by dinghy, Holly jumped up and down with excitement that all her “best friends” were on their way to her party. With a small picnic in tow, we hiked across the isthmus to the Pacific side, the southernmost beach of Bahia Santa Maria.
The water was turquoise and warm, the sand like flour, and the waves just the right size to jump through and ride in to shore a little ways. Our new friends brought little gifts and cards for Holly, so touching and sweet and it made her feel very special. After dinner that night she blew out her three candles on her pink sprinkled cake, grinning from ear to ear.
Third birthdays are the best: they are the first one that a kid truly understands, when they know that it’s their special day. I think this particular one was one of my favorites as well. Simple, low cost, fun, memorable. And most of all our three-year-old was filled with joy the whole day long during our celebration of her.
