We love our Rose-girl so much. She is such a patient middle child. She is also not afraid to take a stand and SAY what she wants to say! For her birthday gifts, we went with quality over quantity. On Sunday morning before church, Rose opened a bag of chocolate coins from Jay and ten packs of gum from Amber. Her final gift was a battery-powered hoverboard, which was fully charged in the box, I was relieved to discover. Rose learned how to ride her cousin Layne's hoverboard, and she has wanted one for a long time. For some reason, she didn't think her parents would ever give her one--when she told me she wanted one back before Christmas, she said "but I know it's super unlikely that I'll ever get one." I rubbed my hands together. It was the perfect birthday surprise! She loved it.
Since Rose already knew how to ride a hoverboard, she zoomed all over the house in no time like a tall slim human robot. Of course the siblings wanted to try it too. When Jay tried riding the hoverboard, he fell off and slightly dislocated his collar bone. There was a lump on it! We called our next door neighbor Jory, who is a chiropractor, and Jeff and Jay walked over for assistance before church. Jory popped Jay back into place and advised no wheels or falling for a week. Jay said "at least he said I could still run!" Spoken like both your mother's and your father's son, son.
At church on her birthday, I noticed Rose twisting her hands in the hem of her dress over and over for a while in a gesture that could have been nervous or simply excited for church to end so she could get back to celebrating her birthday. After a little while, Rose suddenly stood and walked up to the podium in front of the ward. She said a short sweet testimony into the microphone with her mask still in place, slightly muffling her words: "I know the church is true. Come Follow Me helps my family." Then she power walked back down to our seat, grinning widely. She must have felt much older and bolder on her birthday, because she has never been one to get up in testimony meeting!
After church and lunch, all five of us went outside into the bright cheerful sunlight to watch Rose ride her hoverboard on the paved path behind our house. Jeff and I scootered. Jay walked. Amber roller skated. Jay helped her, and eventually Jeff held her hand too. It was a brief happy half hour of family time in the bright sunshine.
Sweet Rose loved her birthday. She rode her hoverboard a TON. We had the Whites and Gibbons over for birthday dinner: mac and cheese, kielbasa, oven roasted yams and cauliflower, romaine salad, and donuts for cake. Rose had a blast playing with her cousins and feeling that specialness of being The Birthday Kid. They played Sleeping Queens and Candy Land. They built a box fort in the basement. They did a lot of squealing and yelling and playing in our little house.
Rose's birthday dinner was the first time we've had anyone inside our house since Amber's birthday 3 months ago, and we were all exhausted by the time the cousins left. It was fun hosting a gathering again, but also super tiring. Jeff and I cleared the table quickly and left the pots and pans to soak overnight to avoid intensive dish cleanup. We used paper plates, so it wasn't too much kitchen carnage, thankfully.
I love my Rose. She is a bright darling cuddly perfectionist who wants to know everything. She is a wonderful big sister-friend to Amber. They play so well together. Rose is excited to grow up, and she loves feeling grown up, while still clinging to braided ponytails and BFF necklaces. She is diligent with her nightly scripture reading, and last week she started trying to write in a journal more regularly. I hope I can be a patient open loving kind GOOD mom for her, even when I'm tired, because she always wants more hugs and attention and care. My daughter is growing up before my very eyes and it sparks all of the sniffle-y mom-nostalgia that, as always, is only dampened by manifestations of daughterly defiance and stubbornness, haha.
There's a reason ten is in the middle of the word "inTENse."
We love our Rose intensely!
Rose, indulging my mom nostalgia. Me, indulging Rose's snuggle craving.
Birthday morning! Ten balloons!
"A hoverboard!!"
She can steer this thing with slight leaning and twitches of her feet. It is quite a feat of balance. I didn't have the courage to try it.
Ten candles! Rose's sweet 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Zins, made these ten tall candles and gave them to Rose as a birthday gift. It was cool to light homemade candles, even if they did thoroughly perforate her maple bar donut.
The big candles made a lot of smoke. I opened the front door to clear the air.
Amber on her light up roller skates, Rose on her light up hoverboard. I guess all of the cool toys light up these days.
Jay, carefully holding his right arm while his hurt collar bone heals. He still sweetly helped Amber skate.
Shaina on a scooter, Rose hoverboarding.
Family sunshine birthday selfie!
Rose's latest artwork: the city of eyes. She loves looking at it and telling me about it and exclaiming over how cool it looks. Effusive artistic girl.
Family birthday dinner! We couldn't fit everyone in our party of 13 at the table in our small kitchen, so the seven kids ate first.
Playing cards: Sleeping Queens.
The donut cake! I love piling a plate high with donuts and calling it a cake. I found some good donuts at Pepe's Bakery in Sunnyside. We love Pepes!
Rose's favorite donut was the jelly-filled. We always do candles more than once because it makes in-the-moment photography less stressful. So this time we stabbed "normal" candles into a jelly donut. Also, Rose and Layne like to get matching shirts for Rose's birthday. They did it last year too.
Goodnight, birthday girl! Shopping, cooking, prepping, and managing all of the birthday festivities took longer than my labor and delivery birthing Rose, and was arguably more tiring too, haha. Every kid deserves a special day (just as much as every mom deserves a nap or three afterwards).
Happy birthday, Rose!
1 comment:
Rose is so ALIVE and completely adorable!
Her "City of Eyes" artwork is complex, well-balanced, and so clever!
You are such a good mom!!!
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