Happy Birthday, Avril!

Avril turned seven years old on Sunday, October 28. I can't belive it. This has been a hard round of birthdays for me. I suppose it's because it's the first time that we've had successive birthdays with no newborn to repeat all the earlier milestones. So I am having a hard time coming to terms with how quickly my girls are growing. Avril has matured a lot over the last year. She speaks with adult language, understands on a high level so that adults can hold normal types of conversations with her. Her face is clearly maturing and she just isn't a little girl anymore. She is solidly in the "girl" stage. Avril is a voracious reader and rejoices over a trip to the library. She is especially enjoying the Garfield comics right now. Our gifts to her were two Garfield compilation comic books, and a real Bible. She was thrilled and has been spending almost all of her free time reading.

We are so blessed to have Avril. She is still a challenge in that she is very moody and can really test your patience. It's astonishing how much she is like Adrian in her personality. She even has his ability to block out all sound when she is focused. She honestly doesn't hear you even though you may be inches away. It is a delight to think about what she may be like in the future. It will most definitely be here before I am ready.

Due to scheduling, Avril's party was slightly different this year. We had one school friend, Madi, come and spend the day with us. Avril and I had talked several weeks earlier about her cake. She wanted a beach cake that was decorated as a beach scene. Because it was so small, I let the girls decorate the cake themselves. So just after Madi arrived they got to decorating. It was so fun. The girls really enjoyed themselves. Most of the afternoon the girls just played together. Madi was so generous to bless Avril with a gift card to Barnes & Noble. She couldn't have picked a better gift. (In fact, Avril went to the bookstore yesterday and spent it on new treasures.) For dinner, Avril decided on Uno's Pizza. The girls ordered make-your-own-pizzas. Just as dinner was finishing, the waitstaff came out to sing Happy Birthday to a customer. My girls had never witnessed this before (as we rarely eat out in a sit-down restaurant with them). When our waitress came to bring the check Avril proudly announced that this was her birthday too. So the waitstaff surprised her with a song and freshly baked, (it was still hot, YUM!) huge chocolate chip cookie. What a wonderful evening. After dinner, we took Madi home. Avril thoroughly enjoyed her day and I'm sure is already formulating plans for next year.




































































































**Regarding the picures: 1. Avril and Madi getting the "ocean" frosting ready. 2. Putting on the ocean water. 3. Adding the "sand." 4. All finished. 5. Make a wish. 6. Enjoying the fruits of their labor. 7. At Uno's Pizza. 8. Making pizzas. 9. Mmm, pizza. 10. Is that embarrasment at being the center of attention???? 11. Sweet reward.

Rain, Rain

There is a special tradition in our house. Ever since Avril was a very small toddler, Adrian would take her out to play in the rain. Adrian's favorite weather is rain so it was natural for him to implement this event. Over the years, the other girls joined the playtime as they became old enough to walk. Usually they will walk over to the tennis courts and splash in the huge puddles for a while. Then the will swing and slide on the small playground right next to the house. It's best in the summer when it's warm out, but they even go in the winter. When they come home soaked to the bone and covered in mud, they take warm baths and drink hot chocolate. This has become one of the girls' most cherished activities. We've been in a drought for a while now, and they did ask occasionally through the summer when it might rain that they could go out and play. We were finally blessed with some rain at the end of October. It was a perfect playing rain too--steady and gentle and long lasting (and warm). The girls were so excited to get to go and play in the rain with dad. Watching all of them walk off together into the rain has become one of my most cherished activities. What a treasure to have such sweet memories to hold.

Tea Time

My mom takes care of Eowyn on Fridays while I am teaching Spanish. This week she planned a rather elaborate tea party for which fancy dresses were required. Eowyn had a BLAST. She very carefully poured the tea, cream and sugar. In fact, she even had a second tea party at lunch time. Perhaps she'll marry into royalty someday and then she'll be ready for high tea.

Ballet

This year the girls are taking ballet lessons. They were so excited when we told them that they would learn ballet and perform on the stage at the end of the year. Eowyn is also in ballet and nearly exploded from joy when she learned that she would finally get to participate in the athletic activities. We are at the studio on Friday nights from 5-7. Eowyn is first at 5pm and then Avril and Maia are in class together at 6pm. They are so cute in their leotards and pink tights. But mostly, I think they are just biding their time to get on the stage in costume. It's exciting to give them this opportunity and watch to see what choices they make as they grow.