- I really love my birthday.
That day, or the entire week before, I don’t feel guilty taking up space.
To My Chica On Her Birthday
You are a “tween” as you so delightedly called yourself this morning. Double Digits. In between.
I haven’t seen you play with your Barbie House in months, but you asked for PJ’s that matched your doll for Christmas.
You still love to cuddle, but haven’t come down scared at night in a long time.
Back and Forth. Childhood to young womanhood. But mostly, forth.Continue Reading
Growing…
The edges of adults have been appearing in my oldest two children.
It happens in a moment.
I check on Anna and her friends and they look like teenagers, designing dresses and listening to music. It’s a flashback to the 80s with high ponytails, leggings and denim shirts.
Not long after she’s begging to go to story hour over spring break because I never get to now that I’m in school ALL DAY.
Back and forth, carrying around her blankies, curling up nex to me – and then loading the dishwasher and asking if she’s old enough to babysit.
I stare at her trying to memorize what she looks like right. now; freckles, delicate chin, sparkly eyes and sweet smile.
It happens in a moment.
We go to story hour. The little two sit on the carpet singing songs and listening to stories. Josh joins in me in the chairs wrapped up in another world. I glance at him and realize he’s discovered the true beauty of story hour, with the littles enthralled by someone else there is nothing for us older people to do but sit and read surrounded by hundreds of stories both true and imagined.
He looks so old riveted by a thick book, his cheek bones sticking out, all baby fat completely gone.
He glances up at me and says, Wasn’t it Benjamin Franklin that started libraries?
I nod.
He was a hero. And he grins. The little boy back for a second.
The enthusiasm of the little boy who wanted to check out all the “project books” from the library and then proceed to do every single project looks a little different in the tall skinny boy who spends hours looking through National Geographics trying to find cool maps to hang on our walls.
But, the fundamental trait is still there, just different.
The older they get, the more I realize their depth. What amazing individuals they are and will be – people I want to know.
It pulls at my heart strings, it makes me excited.
The past – and the change – are full of joy.
Chica is 7
Anna asked me yesterday how Justin and I picked her name.
“Anna is for the prophetess Anna in the New Testament. The one who went to the temple every day and recognized Jesus as a baby. She had incredible faith.”
“My favorite scripture is about faith. ‘Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge….’ She grinned.”
“Lyn is for Auntie Jessie. You see, my middle name is Sue, Auntie Amy’s middle name is Sue, Gram’s middle name is Sue, her sister’s middle name is Sue, her nieces middle names is Sue… When Jessie was born, apparently Papa was sick of the tradition and put Lyn on her birth certificate. We gave you the middle name Lyn so she wouldn’t be lonely.”
“I love Auntie Jessie. What about my last name how did you pick that?”
I glanced back at her serious face and suppressed a smile. “Well, have you noticed we all have the same last name?”
“Yep.”
“Well you don’t get to pick, you are just born with it.”
“ooohh.”
Oh I love this sweet inquisitive girl. She had an entire birthday weekend.
Friday morning her brothers were very excited to bring her breakfast in bed. Josh was up at 6. I had to convince him that it wasn’t really a birthday gift to wake his sister up 2 hours before her usual time. We held off until 7ish. She got to open one of her presents before Justin left for work. He got a pretty big hug for staying up until 2 am to finish her doll wardrobe. Off to school.
Then the traditional lunch date with Daddy. That night it was time to party. Anna hadn’t had a party in a couple of years. Initially, she wanted a doll party, complete with crafts and a photo booth. I was psyching myself up to do it when we picked up Josh from one of his friend’s birthday parties at a local swimming pool.
“Wait! Mom could I do a swimming party?”
“Hmm maybe.” That party looked so much easier. So I asked how much it was.
SIXTY DOLLARS! I still can’t believe it. That included food, party favors, and two hours of swimming and water slide.
“Yes Anna. Yes you can have a party here instead.” As a bonus, every Mom thanked me for wearing out their child right before bedtime.
That Sunday we had a family celebration. Anna was lucky enough to have one grandparent and 4 great-grandparents attend.
We sure adore this cute, sweet, artistic, smart, kind, athletic girl of ours.