4th birthday reprise

Just got back from the birthday party that Lani threw for Dancing Baby Girl. She did it up right and was so proud of herself. DBG was so thrilled, she kept saying this is my party? this for me? She handled the excitement well, only was mean once and that was to her Mom. i got to meet some of Lani's other family members and they all handled my presence very well. I think that is because Lani is so comfortable with our relationship.

I am proud of Lani, this was a huge step for her, the first birthday party she has thrown and it may have been the first one she has gone to like this. I get the feeling she didn't have a lot of the experiences that one would hope for for a child, like a recognition of your special day, etc.

Anyway, I am tired after a long and pretty emotional weekend for DBG. So I need to get some sleep, work again tomorrow whether I am ready or not.

4th Birthday

(This was last year! when we weren't broke.)

Today is Dancing Baby Girl's 4th Birthday. But I do not know why it had to start before 6 AM. She keeps asking when her birthday is going to start. I think she is going to be a little disappointed as her party is not until tomorrow and is being organized by her Mom, Lani. In order to not overshadow that effort we are just doing a little family thing here with cake and presents.

Last year we had a bit of an extravaganza as it was both her birthday party and her good bye party with all her day care and other friends. So she may have unrealistic expectations.

We are baking her cake together and I think she will enjoy that.

It just keeps getting better

It was my birthday on Sunday, one shy of the big 5 0. Sunday wasn't so hot, not much in the way of birthday excitement from the kids or hubby. Pretty much as anticipated. I have learned not to expect too much. (a lot of you can relate I know from reading your posts about your birthdays)

We went out for an extremely pleasant family dinner, the best in forever, everyone was on their game and we had a delightful round of conversations and witty rejoinders without anyone getting an attitude or offended. From that point on my birthday just kept getting better.

With a lot of coaching my DH was able to get me a present that I really wanted (instead of the generator he thought I needed, no really, one year he got me an electric chainsaw, luckily it was disassembled in the box or he just might have been disassembled himself!!) Of course, he procrastinated about the purchase so it didn't come until Monday but it came.

He got me a Wii Fit and I am in heaven. We have all really enjoyed it but me most of all, which is how it should be don't you think? I now have an exercise something I can do in the early AM as I am rousting the kids and yet still be near if I am needed. I am so happy that he got what I WANTED and not what he thought I needed.

So that came on Monday and on Monday I actually got a birthday card in the mail. Can you believe it my very own birthday card, it came as a form card from my state representative, but hey I am not picky, I proudly displayed my card for all to see and talked about the joy I experienced in opening it as the supper table so everyone could share in that joy.

Then on Tuesday my mother called to wish me Happy Birthday! Yup on Tuesday. But I had so many endorphins from my glorious exercising on my Wii Fit that I had a great conversation with her all the same.

Then today I actually had a luncheon thrown for me at work, complete with cards, some nice gifts and a cookie cake. I am now really enjoying this birthday thing. I am wondering what will happen tomorrow. Can it get any better than this? I hope not or I will have way too many expectations for next year :-)

So sarcasm aside it really has been a good birthday or birthweek or something. Far more than usual and with none of the typical acting out that usually happens with the kids if I want a little me time or recognition. Maybe we are all growing up, who knows! I really, really liked having a birthday lunch at work. For me, one of the absolute best perks at work is co-workers, I really enjoy having other adults to interact with.

So I hope any one else can have a birthday like mine, free of annoying outbursts and full of some much needed affirmation (even if the only card you get is from your state representative!)

Douglass is 18!

Douglass is 18 and seems to be sprouting some wings. He may be the only one of my adopted children able to leave the nest without disrupting relationships.

Anyway we love having him home this weekend from his military school. We gave him a Wii for his birthday and he and his friend just commented that this is the most fun they have had in a long time and they weren't trying to kill things on the little screen. We are having lots of good natured rivalry as they play tennis, golf and bowling. We are saving Guitar Hero for a little later. I love to hear all of the kids interacting with one another as they play together. It has been a good evening.

Douglass is preparing to take his GED in late May and he is finishing his first community college course. He has goals and plans (plans that are actually within the realm of possibility) and seems to be confident enough to push through when the goals are harder to achieve than he plans. I just love to see the maturity blossoming.

Happy birthday, big guy. I love you!

A 15th Birthday

This is my beautiful dancing girl a couple of years ago but it is a picture that expresses her well. All beauty and grace, in constant motion, reaching for the best things out there.

My darling dancing girl turns 15 today and she is taller than I am. It is bittersweet to see your darlings grow up. She is doing a much better job of this whole teenage thing than any of her brothers and sisters. She reminds me that she had lots of opportunity to observe what wasn't going to work, and how not to win friends and influence people from her older sibs mistakes. Thank goodness she was one who could watch and learn. So many of our others had to prove it to themselves by doing it the really hard way.

For her birthday we are giving her a trip out to see her second oldest brother in Santa Cruz, California. It will not be the first time she has flown by herself, but it will be the first time she needs to change planes without an adult to guide her. She is going with a friend and they are so excited they are walking on air, or maybe leaping on air as they are both dancers!

I am thankful everyday that we have this darling bundle of joy and I reflect on how close we came to losing her, both in utero and then immediately after she was born. It was touch and go the first 2.5 years of her life but with God's help we managed to pull through. We were told that she was not a viable fetus, then that she would not live long after birth, then that she was dying of sepsis when she was 4 days old, then that she would never be able to digest food properly and would need to be tube fed and lead a restricted lifestyle. And now she is a vibrant, incredibly intelligent, socially savvy, beautiful and loving 15 yo! I thank God every day for the joy and happiness that she brings into the world and I am so grateful that we did not give up and insisted that she could do anything she set her mind to and then some. My miracle baby is 15 and healthy and wonderful!!