I cannot believe that my little girl is nine. Inconceivable.
“I would have given anything to keep her little. They outgrow us so much faster than we outgrow them.”
– Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper
pics from the big bash
Here are a few pictures that my mom took at Zane’s 1st Birthday party. I am so envious of her camera (and her photography skills!). Thanks for capturing these beautiful memories, Mom!
One.
We actually finished the kitchen on time!
Future chef.
Happy Birthday, Zane!
Go, baby, go!
Love.
first trip around the sun
Our little boy turns one today! While I was feeling rather melancholy about the whole thing earlier in the week, today I am just so thankful for his presence in my life — his chubby cheeks, his joyful belly laugh, his antics, and his bright little eyes that still look up at me with pure love. I’m looking forward to what the coming year will bring, and especially to hearing what this little guy has to say when he starts to talk!
Happy Birthday, Zane!
thirty-five
Well, I didn’t get a chance to finish my husband’s present, but now he knows what it is, so I can talk about it. I was knitting him a tie, and I am about halfway done, but I was concerned that if I rushed to finish it, I would probably make a lot of mistakes. I’m a pretty new knitter. But, he will get it eventually and I will post the pattern details after it’s done (to make sure it actually works!).
Even without his awesome knitted tie, my husband had a great birthday (I hope!). I gave him two books about the artist Edward Gorey (my husband was an Illustration major in college and graduated with a BFA, and I took several art classes in college, as well, so we have a lot of art books). The books were Floating Worlds: The Letters of Edward Gorey and Peter F. Neumeyer and Elephant House: Or, the Home of Edward Gorey. I will say that I am green with envy over the enormity of Edward Gorey’s book collection, and I really, really wish someone would send me illustrated letters, and I would love to send some back!
I also made him this cute card, using a book called Illustration School: Let’s Draw Happy People by Sachiko Umoto, which I read about in a post by Nicole Balch (of Making It Lovely). I love this little book, and it is so great to be able to draw something that actually looks kind of like I want it to!
I baked him a cake using Wilton’s Basic Yellow Cake and Buttercream Icing, which are the exact same recipes that my mom always used to make our cakes growing up. For me, it’s not a birthday cake if it doesn’t taste like this.
The best part was when, two seconds after this photo was taken, my daughter screamed “Ow ow ow! Daddy! You blew hot wax on me!” (she wasn’t seriously injured) and my son started screaming at the top of his lungs (not from hot wax, but I think from confusion). My stomach hurt from laughing so much.
Happy Birthday to the best husband ever, Damian! XOXO Love you lots!
::eight::
My little girl, who I suppose is not so little anymore, turned eight years old yesterday. Something about eight was more painful than past birthdays. For awhile, it’s exciting as they hit those milestones; walking, talking, running, playing. Then, you start to realize that time is only flowing in one direction and there’s no way to go back. There’s no way to take an eight year old and make her tiny enough to hold in your arms ever again.
A birthday ring.
My daughter was born when I was only twenty-two, and I was certainly not ready to be a parent. By the grace of the Cosmos, I was given a very resilient and adaptable child. I always loved her, desperately loved her, but I have to say that I didn’t really know what I was doing. Still, she has been my greatest teacher, and her patience has more than made up for my lack of parenting skills.
A new skateboard!
And, the good news is that nothing is ever broken; nothing is ever beyond repair. We make mistakes as parents every single day. We are human, after all. But, as long as the love is there, I believe it will all be okay in the end. I used to think it was a cruel joke that the universe had chosen to give such a bright and beautiful child a mother who knew absolutely nothing about how to raise her. Now, I see that it was just the match we both needed.
Making a wish…
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A world in which time is absolute is a world of consolation. For while the movements of people are unpredictable, the movement of time is predictable…Each person knows that somewhere is recorded the moment she was born, the moment she took her first step, the moment of her first passion, the moment she said goodbye to her parents.
From Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman