Willa Zane P. turned one today. I am very thankful for her.
Happy Birthday, sweet girl! Many, many more.
This was the very first time Willa petted Jack. The picture was taken in August.
Celebrations on the horizon
Chinese New Year party at Eden’s school – Wednesday afternoon
Willa’s first birthday – Thursday
Willa’s party – Friday
Chinese New Year Gala – Saturday night (a local Chinese association puts this on – this will be our second year attending)
Eden’s birthday and brunch – Sunday
Chinese New Year – Monday
Party on.
The picture above was taken at Mom’s. David had just made a toast. While the adults were clinking glasses, the Legumes clinked their plates.
It really was the best of both worlds.
Here we have a beautiful fairy and her dear friend and cousin, Hannah Montana. Are you laughing my friends? If you can look at this without snorting or at the very least, giggling, please seek medical assistance immediately. The wig wasn’t really the highest quality but, right out of the package it looked fine, even after Eden tried it on a few times. Then Christopher got ahold of it, Torey tried it on and we might have jammed it on Willa’s head a time or two. When Eden put it on last night I tried to brush it out a little, but that wasn’t going to work, so I just slipped in a couple of bobby pins and called it good.
When Torey saw her in all her blonde and sparkly glory she said, “OH.MY.GOODNESS. YOU LOOK LIKE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!!!!!!!
We both wish there was a picture of Eden’s face at that moment. Her eyes disappeared and with her missing teeth her smile looked just like a jack o’ lantern.
The joke amongst the adults was “a beautiful fairy and Hannah Montana: hurricane survivor”.
We’re so glad she did and that she came to our party.
On the 4th of July our little town has a parade and afterwards a fair. In the past, we’ve made the mistake of going immediately after the parade with all the crowds. This is fine if you like standing in long lines under a noon sun. I do not and so we finally smartened up and this year, immediately after the parade we drove home. The girls swam while David, Christopher and I went to a book sale at the local library. Standing under a noon day sun perusing used books I can stand. When we returned Torey, Paul and I loaded up the four bigger kids and took them over to the fair.
The place was almost deserted. Paul split off with the big kids while Torey and I double teamed the Legumes. We went over to the bounce place and, as you can see the Ren and Eden were the only kids in it. Watching them jump around made us both wistful. “I wish I could go in there.” Torey said. Before I could even say, “Me too!” the teenage employee said, “Go ahead.”We both scrabbled up and in and started jumping like our little girls.
It.Was.So.Much.Fun.
Torey bounced down on her bottom first and then I did. Our jumping knocked the little girls off balance. They were flailing around and falling and we were all laughing and laughing. I don’t know how long it has been since I have jumped in one of those. I remember when I was little getting knocked into corners, having my face jammed against the netting and trying so hard to get loose but any ground I would take I would lose to a bigger kid’s bounce. When I was quite young this scared me, but as I got older it just made me laugh, which weakened me further. One memory I have of jumping with my brothers and being down on all fours, trying to get up, but continually being knocked over and then laughing so hard I couldn’t stop.
Laughing like that feels so good. I don’t laugh like that enough. I want to start keeping track, not in a formal way, but just get into the habit of a little check in. We need to laugh. It’s like an emotional massage. I don’t want to withhold that from myself anymore. Tomorrow I am going to call a rental place to find out how much it costs to get one of these things for a day. I know a lot of people who have need of a place where it’s safe to jump and fall. I want others to laugh until they cry or to cry until they laugh.
38 is great!
Last night, as I was tucking her into bed, Eden asked what kind of birthday I wanted.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Rennie’s having a Princess birthday and I’m having a horse and Chihuahua birthday, what kind do you want.”
I knew it wouldn’t be any good to explain that adults don’t usually have themes. “I want a flower birthday.” I said.
“You always pick that.” She said, without missing a beat.
It was a good day. Paul took it off but it was fairly low key. We went out to lunch while the kids went to see Wall E with their cousin, Ren, and her Grandpa and Grandm P., who she shares with my kids and who treated everyone. Torey and Willa Z. came along for the ride.
After lunch Paul took the kids to a park and the library so that I could stay home and write. When they returned Lydia and I did a little math, as she is doing some extra credit this summer.
There weren’t any presents to unwrap or candles to blow out, but they all made me cards, even Paul. We have had a couple of projects around the house done that we have counted towards several holidays.
I jokingly told Paul today, “Your presence is your gift.”
And it was.