Sunday, March 27, 2011

Five

My Dear Rachel B,

You turned five!

You had the best fifth birthday you could possibly imagine. I don't think it could have gone any better unless Tinkerbell herself had flown in for a visit.

It started bright and early in the morning. I'm not sure how or where, but you got this idea in your head that you wanted breakfast in bed. You talked about last month and asked me randomly to bring it to you. It never happened. But I tucked that in my mind and even wrote it on the calendar so I'd remember. On your birthday, I brought up a plate of mini waffles, syrup, juice and your presents. All five of us sat on your bed and ate together. You were over the moon.


After we ate, you opened your presents. We gave you an umbrella (which you are in love with), a digital piggy bank that totals how much money you've put in it, the book Deep Snow by Robert Munsch, and a necklace with a little girl holding a teddy bear.


Following breakfast and presents, there was a scurry to get ready for your party! You had picked out your dress at Winner's and decided that Cordelia should have the same dress as you, so she did. They'll be your Easter dresses this year as well, probably. We curled your hair and you looked perfect.



The day was gloomy, so I let you stand on the porch with your umbrella to test it out. You even shared with Cordelia, which was sweet of you.


Grandma arrived at 10:30 and helped with the last minute stuff before your guests started to arrive. She brought you a pink rose, which she always does on your birthday.


Your party started at 11am. It had a Tinkerbell/Fairy theme as that is your favourite thing right now. You invited four friends from school (Mia, Laura, Adrianna, and Mason) and three others (Molly, Eric, and Scarlet).  The first activity when they arrived was painting terra cotta flower pots. This activity kept getting interrupted by you running upstairs to show your guests your bedroom. Then Cordelia would want to show everyone her room. While you guys painted, I made pizza's for lunch.

While the pizza's cooked, we started playing games. First was Musical Books. Once everyone realized you got a prize when you lost, there was some definite internal conflict happening with your friends trying to decide whether to win or lose. Eventually, Adrianna won. The prizes were Tinkerbell things.


Next, you played Pin the Heart on the Tiara.  The prizes were pixie stix. We had to stall a bit because the pizza's weren't done yet. You all had a dance party in the playroom which turned into the Freeze Dance game. It was hilarious and awesome to see all of your friends and you showing off your best moves. No inhibition is a great thing.

Pizza followed games. I'm not sure who started it, but lunchtime entertainment was all of you telling jokes. Jokes that were not remotely funny. Knock-knock jokes, riddles, one-liners. You thought you were a bunch of stand up comedians! Each joker attempting to top the previous, certain that your joke was the absolute funniest thing ever. Grandma and I were almost in tears at how unfunny you all were.


In true Meyer-Party form, I took pictures of all of you making your funniest faces.


Grandpa did the same at all of our parties growing up. It only seemed right that Aunt Kristi and I continue with the tradition!

After pizza was a treasure hunt where clues that had been left by Rosetta the Garden Fairy led you around the main floor, ending at a silver box with 9 jars of purple Pixie Dust and a note that this very special dust was only to go in a garden where it would help flowers grow. There was great excitement over this pixie dust!

Cake followed this game. We had two for you - Nana made a white rainbow chip Tinkerbell cake.  I made chocolate cupcakes with pink, purple and green butter cream icing and mini fairy figurines on top. Both were your picks.



After cake came more dancing and then I managed to get you all gathered for one last game: Pass the Parcel. The prizes were glow stick bracelets.


Last, were presents. You got a lot of nice toys and clothes from your friends.


As they were leaving, they enthusiastically declared that this had been one amazing party. Mia even shouted that it was WAY better than hers had been last month at Adventures on Wonderland. They were bouncing around, eager to tell their parents all about it and show off their pixie dust and hand painted pots. As they left, you gave them a thank you note that you had made on purple fairy paper and a packet of seeds for their flower pots.

After the party, we had a bit of quiet time. Cordelia went down for her nap, Kingsley (who slept through most of your party) was up. We took all your toys out of the packaging and you got to start playing.

Just after 3pm, Nana, Grandpa and Grandma Marilynn all came over. More cake and more presents!



Nana and Grandpa gave you a raincoat, rain boots and rain hat that you got very excited about once you realized you looked just like Lizzie, the girl in Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue. Between that and the umbrella, you've been pretty much begging for rainy days since your birthday.


For dinner, I made you macaroni and cheese (your favourite) and we had even more cake. At the end of the day, you were exhausted, elated and five.

I am so proud of the big girl you've grown into. You are so sweet, charming, adorable, kind, brilliant, funny and all around incredible. I hope all of your birthdays are as wonderful as this one was!

Love Mommy

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Hi Sweet Turtle,

You've had such a big winter. You are growing up before my eyes and I can't believe the changes that are happening. Every day I look at you in absolute wonder. I see the little baby I once held so tightly and I see the woman you will be. You are so beautiful.

Christmas was fantastic. You were so over-the-moon excited about the whole season and jumped in with two feet. You had letters to Santa, decorations and carols being produced at every moment of every day. You lived and breathed the Holiday and I wanted to just keep you this age forever so that it could always be this much fun.

In January, you went to your first birthday party without me. It was for a girl named Hayley from your class. Really though, Cordelia and I went on a date to the place where the party was so that I could keep an eye on you. I was so proud of how grown up you acted.

You dress yourself every morning. You are quite the eccentric dresser. Stripes, polka dots, prints, layers, you do it all. All at the same time. You are also getting creative with your hair. Grandpa thinks I must do it to you, but really I have to restrain myself from fixing it before we go out in public. I am torn between fixing you up so that no one makes fun of you and not wanting to stifle your creativity.  For some reason you are insistent that you should always have three clips in your hair - one on each side and one at the dead centre, front of your hairline. Cordelia has started to copy you. She wants clips in the middle of her head, just like you do.

Kingsley had to spend some time in the hospital twice this winter - once in November for 9 days and again at the start of February for 7 days. I was really worried about how you would cope with me and Kingsley in the hospital and not around for that length of time. You had some trouble last year when Kingsley was born, but this time was very different. I think it's likely because you had school to keep the routine going. Whatever the reason, you took it in stride. Mornings at school, afternoons/evenings with Grandma or Nana and Grandpa. Your only complaint was when I showed you the video I made of Kingsley's hospital stay: there were not enough pictures of you. That's my girl ;)

A few more things are awesome about you right now. The first is Ramona. When I was a little girl, I loved Ramona books. I read them over and over. For Christmas, you got a box set of Ramona books and we have been going through them. You cuddle up in my lap in the afternoon when Cordelia and Kingsley are napping and I read you a chapter. I'm amazed at how well you sit and listen, even without pictures. We've gone through three of them right now and your love for Ramona is still going strong. There are five more books and already I'm thinking of what book series I want to read with you next. You're starting to read a bit on your own, but chapter books are still a ways off.  I can't wait for the day you're old enough to start reading Harry Potter with me.

Last Wednesday, I picked you up from school and you were full of smiles and giggles. You delightedly told me that Mason had KISSED you! Could I believe it?? Just before school let out, he had kissed you on the tummy. I think you like Mason a little bit, but you don't really say it like that. You still don't understand the boy/girl stuff and I'm in no hurry to push you into thinking you need a boyfriend or anything silly like that. Either way, you were giggling all afternoon about it. Your first kiss. On the tummy.

Right now, you are sick. It's the second time you have had the flu and you're taking it pretty rough. You threw up for days and in less than a week have lost 4 pounds. You're skin and bones and it makes me sad to see. You are absolutely miserable.

Despite being sick, you are very excited about your upcoming birthday. You will be five, which is a big deal according to you. You're having your first friend party and inviting Molly, Eric, Scarlet and the three girls in your 'Girls Club' at school. It is going to be a Tinkerbell party since she is your current favourite thing in the world.  I bought a necklace for you for your birthday present. I'm so excited for you to get it.

I love you so much my little Turtle. I can't wait until you are feeling better and back to your usual cheerful self.

Love Mommy