I so wanted to make this cake for her birthday this year, but she informed me it was too "little girlish"...
I told her we could change up the candies, make them all gold and silver, or hot pink and aqua or somethin' hip like that.
Nope.
So....I dealt with my grief and let one more piece of the princesses and pigtails days pass through my fingers. I no longer have a little girl as my oldest child. She has truly, without my consent, become a young woman. Eat ice cream and cry with me.
As the memories flood my mind of that first cry, those first smiles on those little teddy-bear cheeks, that first "mama", first steps, and then those adorable bouncy blonde pigtails....
As I think of that first day of pre-school, then on to kindergarten, then all those fun early elementary days of homeschooling...
All the giggles and "look what I mades", and pride in each new acclomplishment....
Oh for the love, the girl is 12, not moving out yet. Get a grip and wipe those tears off your keyboard...
But really, what precious memories twelve years hold.
It is so amazing to see that little girl in my memories transformed into this beautiful young woman.
What a sweet personality she has. What a beautiful heart. She has such strength to her character, and such a great capacity to love. She is thoughtful and caring, and all are lucky who may ever count her a friend.
She has more of a sense of who she is than I ever had at her age, and I'm telling you--this girl is going places. She need only set her mind on something, and she has the capacity to make it happen.
And that is the gift that comes with this new stage. I am being offered a new perspective of who that beautiful baby girl who was placed in my arms 12 years ago is.
She can think for herself, and though she still needs my guidance, she really doesn't need me to tell her what to do. (well maybe with the exception of what time to shut off that book light...)
Who she is as an individual is beginning to stamp itself on everything she does, and I love it.
I have to let go of the little girl, but in return I get to embrace a new version of her in the dearest and sweetest form of a friend. I am both lucky and grateful.
Sorry my dearest Dabriah, I'm afraid these emotional mom posts come with the territory of being the oldest. I shall get on with your birthday post now. Ahem.
It really was a lot of fun to dedicate the entire 25th to just your birthday.
We started the day out with some sleeping in for the first December 25th in history, (well sort of, since we did save the stockings for Christmas morning and you all were excited to get up and dig into your treats), followed by the traditional breakfast cinnamon rolls.
Throughout the day we played all the new Christmas games, relaxed, and I put together your birthday present clues.
We had all the things you wanted for dinner : sweet & sour chicken, stuffing, cinnamon rolls, the neighbors' bon bon platter, and your (very un-little girlish) cake : a double layer lemon cake with cream cheese frosting in the middle, dusted with powdered sugar and topped with maraschino cherries. Good choice.
After dinner, you set out to find all your clues by popping all the balloons on the ceiling, then spent the better part of 45 minutes figuring out what they meant. Sorry, that was probably pretty mean of me to make you do math on your birthday.
They led you to a hidden map, which was cut into puzzle pieces.
Upon putting together the map (which was of our house, and which I spent a long time trying to draw myself and failed miserably and instead printed out our floorplan from Copperbasin's website), you found it marked with x's.
Once you were able to orient yourself with that perspective of the house, you headed off to find each little gift hidden wherever x marked the spot.
You got some fun things, including a new purse, some lovely jewelry, and a gift card.
While you were busy with all of that, Deacon picked on Buggy one too many times I think. Check out this sweet take-down. (No Deacons were harmed.)
We also did the "kid exchange" on your birthday. You each drew the name of one of your siblings and picked and wrapped a present for them for Christmas. You guys really enjoy that.
Then we topped off the night with the birthday song and some cake. You blew hard to blow out all those candles. Seemed a little determined to get your wish. I am overcome with curiosity to know what it was...
1 comment:
She is growing up too dang fast!
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