A Beary Happy 5th Birthday

For some reason, placing candles is a
really big deal. She put all of them
except one in the slice she'd designated
for herself, and the other she put in the
slice, on the opposite side of the cake,
that was designated for Kalina.

For Elise, every birthday is the culmination of exercises in patience and planning. Patience because she's had to watch everyone else in her family celebrate their birthdays before hers, and planning because she has all summer (or year) to dream up the most amazing, most fantastic, most magical birthday ever, and try to convince Mommy to let her pack in as much fun (and sugar) as possible:
"Mommy, for my birthday I only want foods that I like, and sugar."

For months, Elise worked on her birthday plan:
"A bubble party!"
"A bead party, and I'll pick out beads for everyone to take home!"
"A fairy party!"
"A princess party!"
"A dinosaur party!"
"An underwater fairy party!" (This is what we did last year)
"A mermaid party!"
"A rainbow party!"

Check out the rainbow cake!

"A treats party!"
"A craft party!"
"A marble party, and we'll have marble cake!"
"Mommy, let's go to the beach on my birthday!"
"Mommy, can we go to the beach for my birthday?"
"Mommy, for my birthday I want to get in the car, drive to the beach, collect shells, and then drive home for supper."
"I want to go to the zoo for my birthday!"
"Can we go on vacation for my birthday?"
"I want a pinata for my birthday!
"Can I have a pony for my birthday?"

Elise certainly knows how to dream big. How do you let a nearly 5-year-old down and limit her to a birthday that requires neither a princess's budget nor a time machine? Fortunately, Elise is a reasonable girl of a usually cheerful disposition, so for a full three weeks before the big day she steadily looked forward to a birthday trip to Build-a-Bear and the Sugar Shack, on the condition that her sisters get to participate, too. This was a plan that would make everyone happy.

Kalina put lots of love into her card for
Elise. It even has two flaps. Here,
she's showing Elise how it works.

Upon waking up birthday morning, Elise noticed with some delight that she could do a new trick that she probably couldn't do when she was 4! Standing on her knees, with her feet in the air! I'm not certain she'd ever tried this particular stunt before, but the important thing is, Elise felt bigger. [Technically, since the time was 7:00, she would still be 4 for two and a half more hours, but I wasn't about to burst a birthday girl's bubble by telling her that.]

And so began a rather epic birthday, which Elise described the other day by saying, "we were doing something every minute." Or in Mommy's case, every second.

Every good birthday begins with birthday cereal, and this one was no exception. Out came the Lucky Charms, and fortunately Naomi got half a bowl of Raisin Bran in her before realizing her sisters were eating something a little more colorful. It's not a party unless everyone celebrates, so naturally Naomi got to join the fun. To her credit, I think she actually tried one of the brown pieces!

The freshly stuffed Build-A-Bears get
a bath.

Kalina had very sweetly and very carefully chosen three presents for Elise, and in true Kalina (and increasingly Elise) style, insisted that Elise not open them all in one sitting. Elise opened one (a Perler bead set--super exciting!), and then one from Daddy--a disco ball that is soooo not him, but soooo Elise.

All three girls helped make Elise's tie-dye rainbow birthday cake before it was time to get ready for her Dayspring classes--homeschool enrichment that she, fortunately, loves. We packed along some treats for her to hand out, and pinned a "Birthday Girl" button on the fancy Easter dress she'd chosen to wear. With any luck, people would be wishing sweet Elise a happy day all day long.

Build-a-Birthday!

After dropping the bigs off, Naomi and I dashed home to a mountain of dishes and some birthday decorating. And after pickup we all headed to our local Build-A-Bear for the big event. Fortunately, a weary mom with birthday-party money to spend can count on a big event from Build-A-Bear, no appointment required. Elise is decisive in nature and had pre-planned the bear she hoped to find: something rainbowy, and definitely a bear. Fortunately, they had such a bear in stock. As birthday girl, she also got to pick the fanciest outfit and do everything first. She was on cloud nine. Even Naomi participated as the girls picked animals (2 dogs in addition to the a rainbow bear), readied the signature stuffed heart, watched them get stuffed, bathed them, clothed them and created a gift certificate. It's quite the production, but just what we were hoping for.

Our next stop was intended to be the Sugar Shack about 15 minutes away, but the Cinnabon in the mall caught our eye first. Not quite as sweet as the Sugar Shack, but worth it for the convenience, considering we still had a birthday dinner with Grandpa to get to, we headed in. The girls relished some Cinnabons and shared a smoothie (don't tell Elise, but I think Naomi got the lion's share), and then we squeezed into the van with our new friends and arrived home with time for another present from Kalina: more Perler beads! Elise also helped decorate her bright-blue cake with m&ms, sprinkles and marshmallows to perfection.

Grandpa arrived and soon we were all enjoying a birthday meal of macaroni and cheese and hot dogs, followed by a cake that seemed to glow even before the candles were lit. Elise had already marked off her piece, and it was the biggest one--fortunately, she had the sense to save some for the next day (it really was quite big).

After opening the rest of the presents, sometimes only seconds before Naomi beat her to it, Elise was too tired to even hop on the new unicorn pre-pogo stick Grandpa had given her. We quickly headed to bed so that she could rest up and hop to her heart's delight the next morning (which she did).

Elise wanted everyone to know that she hasn't really even stopped playing since her birthday, she's having so much fun. It truly was a lovely birthday, and the perfect kickoff for all that Elise's 5-year-old year holds for her.

Naomi really wants to get at
those presents.

The other day Elise was complaining that Kalina had called her cute. "I don't want to be cute!" she insisted. What did she want to be, I wondered? We pawed through quite a few adjectives until we found one she liked: sweet. Whether it's because she adores sugar or because her good humor sweetens everyone's day, Elise's sweetness constantly shines through.

I might add words like spunky, mischievous, smart, caring and--get this--steady. Elise appreciates rules, and she likes plans. She likes to follow them, and she often prefers other people do, too. Case in point: every time we read Curious George, Elise covers her eyes and squeals a tortured squeal because she can't stand what she knows is going to happen next. Curious George's antics stress Elise out. "I wish I hadn't picked this book!" she said of Curious George Takes a Job. Fortunately, George redeemed himself in the end, as always, so we didn't have to read a different story right after to ward off nightmares.

Elise's love of rules even surpasses her love of treats, to the point that I'm usually able to leave cookies in the cookie jar, so to speak, without a thought about anyone snitching them (except possibly Matt, but he's allowed to). At the same time, she's not above playing with the light switch while I'm trying to put Naomi down for a nap, for example.

Elise has been asking for
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
for a long time. Grandpa
totally came through, and now
the older girls are absorbed
in this simple alphabet book.
Even Naomi can quote it.

The girl is definitely tuned-in, remembering facts (and treats) and experiences (and treats) from years past. She keeps up with Kalina in much of their schoolwork, and is catching onto reading quickly, albeit not instinctively. Elise gets frustrated by things she can't do as well as she'd like to (drawing and writing), but calms down enough to try again.

Elise takes her little sister's disturbances in stride, and helpfully watches out for Naomi's safety and well-being despite often being the target of the toddler's violent phases (which we'll hopefully be done with soon, poor Elise!). It doesn't take much for Naomi to wriggle into her middle sister's good graces, either--soft-hearted Elise can often be convinced to help Naomi with challenging tasks or mother her through new situations like Sunday school. "I played with Naomi the whole time!" she said of last time. People constantly tell me how sweet my girls are to each other.

Elise's dearest wish, other than going to the beach, is to catch a fairy. She loves to craft, dance and sing/hum and do tricks, and she loves bite-sized chunks of mischief, although she can't endure anything that she knows could land her in serious trouble. In her various classes she's always the first to volunteer, whether for singing aloud or somersaulting, and despite her hope to be the center of attention, generally is able to restrain herself from seizing opportunities to do so that might not be the most helpful to her teacher or her mommy.

Matching shirts from Grandma! Naomi
lit up like a birthday candle when she
was finally allowed to open something!

She nibbles her treats like a mouse and still likes to eat with her fingers, but she's more and more able to hold up well on hikes, survive  a late bedtime and make new friends

You wouldn't think that our fun-loving, smiling girl would have a serious side, but she does. Just listen to her "important" voice for a minute or two, and you'll see that she takes a lot of things seriously--shells, beads, marbles (she loves tiny things), treats, elaborate plans to trap fairies, possibilities for beach trips and many, many, many other Very Important things.

The 5-year-old is still our beloved excited, enthusiastic girl, emphatically announcing events in her day, and sometimes regaling them to the tiniest detail. She has lots of great ideas, big and small. The other day she said she would like to be someone who asks rich people to give money to poor people, and I'm pretty sure she'd have them opening their wallets with giant grins on their faces. When it comes to convincing, Elise can be stubbornly sweet, making you want to give in. "As long as you've got your purse out to buy that coffee, why don't you just write me a check for $300,000 for a garden for an underprivileged children's hospital? That way, you can save time because you will already have your purse out, and the kids can be in the garden faster." *Elise smile* *pulling out checkbook*

Me and my birthday girl!

Elise can scooter well, ride with training wheels, put her face in the water, run through a sprinkler without freaking out, shower with only a little help, write her name pretty well, tell a cohesive (and highly detailed!) story, tell you what a preposition is, sing lots of songs, ask really good questions about things beyond her years, recite Psalm 23 with only a little help, work the CD player, read at least 20-25 sight words and sound out plenty of others, somersault, add one-digit numbers either from memory or with counting bears, ask nicely rather than whine at least most of the time, pump herself on the swing for at least a minute or two, reel in a fish with only a little help, blow up balloons, pick up Kalina, stay quiet when she needs to, understand that Naomi is only 2, remember good manners sometimes better than anyone else in the family, not interrupt, play games with other kids, make jokes, and do many tricks and reach many things that seem new to her every day. Elise still sleeps on top of Soft Blankie, on top of her bed, and she thinks she has some loose teeth (and she might, even if just from pushing on them hard enough). She identifies more with older kids than younger kids, but is so pleasant no one minds including her. Elise can happily play outside by herself, but prefers company to talk to. She's still working on speech, drawing and tying shoes, and is also excited to add piano to her list of skills in the coming year.

She still thinks Pink Bear is magical, and Pink Bear still is.

Happy birthday, sweet Elise!!

The "Beach" Trip

Lake Michigan. Ballet pose.

Elise does not keep it a secret that she would like to visit a beach someday  immediately. And she means the real thing--the pool won't do. "But I want to collect shells there, Mommy!" And she knows the difference between a lake and an ocean. She wants the real deal.

"Mommy, can we please go to the beach tomorrow?"
"For my birthday, I want to go to the beach!"
"Oops, Mommy, turn around! The beach is that way!"
"Oh no, Mommy! You left your purse at the beach!"

Lighthouse. Can you spot
Uncle Tom at the top? All
three girls were okay with
Uncle Tom while Matt and I
dashed to the top as well!

Elise used to believe that once she'd arrived at the beach she could swim out with a net and capture a pet clownfish and a pet seahorse to bring home and keep, an idea that is farfetched not only because seahorses and clownfish don't typically venture to the surf--the child can't swim (she kind of thinks she can, though).

[She also thinks she can fly: The other day, "Mommy, I flew a little!" she exclaimed after running and flapping her arms. And she's convinced she can catch a fairy if only her plan is elaborate enough. But I digress...]

We are not going to the real ocean this summer (maybe next, or the one after?), but we got about as close as you can when we visited Uncle Tom in Wisconsin last weekend when we all went to Lake Michigan. The Great Lake didn't disappoint--although it can be docile, it gave Elise quite the show with ocean-like waves underneath sunny skies. She even found a shell! Just one, and it broke (we won't mention any names, but rest assured, she remembers...), but there were more at the lighthouse we visited later, and any prior shell accidents were well compensated. The beach day ended with chocolate milk and lots of fried things. Yum.

Hiking!

Of course, the rest of the Wisconsin trip was nothing to sneeze at (an expression that can send all three girls into a fit of giggles). We visited a windmill and a cute coffee shop where the big girls got their own table, we hiked at a state park, we swam at a lesser beach that was still tons of fun, we visited some friends, we played games and we even survived the loss of power on our first night in due to a violent thunderstorm.

And we saw Uncle Tom! His house was the most beautiful the girls had ever seen, his food the tastiest (he has chocolate milk, too!), his jokes the funniest. Plus he'd do just about anything the girls thought to dare him to, a discovery that will not be lost on them during future visits. It was magical.

The car rides were not magical, but they were mostly livable, and Naomi took her first nap of the trip on the way home. That particular part of the journey would've been much less livable if she hadn't.

Back at home, the girls still perk up every time they hear the word "lake" or "Michigan," and they're dying to go back. Mommy and Daddy kind of are, too...

Ballet pose again, on a hike.

It was really bright at the top of the
windmill!

This is Kalina's "I'm having lots of fun!" look.

Really bright up here, and yes, Elise was actually allowed to stand on the blade.

Windmill! And Naomi is letting Uncle Tom hold her!

This is why the kids have an uncle: so they can pummel him. He was a good
sport. This was our Saturday beach--not Lake Michigan but almost as fun.

Elise learns that she can actually put her feet in
the giant lake/ocean thing in front of her. Whoah!

We found a cool "tide pool," as Elise decided. Almost the ocean!

Somebody stacked all these rocks, and Naomi only knocked down a couple!

We had a table by the lake, and Kalina dared Uncle Tom to climb a tree. He almost made it!

Do you think she'll float?

Chasing Lake Michigan's
rather impressive waves!

Naomi was scared of the sand and the surf and probably just tired at naptime on her third day with no nap. I was totally content to veg with her a while.

Somehow we managed to get this shot without the hoards of people who are also enjoying Lake Michigan on this beautiful day.

The land bridge to the lighthouse. Great views and handfuls of tiny shells, plus it was cool that we had to wade through in the middle.

Sighting danger, or surveying
the future? Either way, Uncle
Tom is on top of the world.

Say woof if you love birthdays!

A woof-woof cake!

For two years now, Naomi has graced us with big smiles, big laughs and a big heart (she even knows how to share!). Plus, she no longer actively throws food on the floor and laughs about it. Time to celebrate a big birthday!

As the toddler has been an avid dog lover for about most of her life, it was easy to choose the theme: puppies. And it was easy to choose the guests, too--everyone in the house and grandpa. In fact, unless you count cutting a cake into two perfectly-shaped ears difficult (kinda), there wasn't much that was tricky about Naomi's birthday, and it was lots of fun.

The celebrating committee!

It started, as most things do, in the morning. When Naomi and her big sisters convened in the parents' bedroom for the usual morning playtime on the bed, Naomi was immediately showered with hugs and happy birthdays--no reminders required. And that was the first present--two of her own personal expert birthday celebraters to make sure the day was cheery and special. 

The big girls insisted on a special breakfast in Naomi's honor, so we cooked up some instant oatmeal (normal to you, birthday-worthy to us). Kalina and Elise both happily made sure Naomi had her favorite cup and bowl to use, which also totally made Mommy's day ("discussions" over breakfast dishes could at times wake the neighbors). And as Naomi had lots of little gifts to look forward to, we went ahead and opened a couple. One didn't work (eek!), so we opened another.

Naomi only requested a few specific things for her birthday--shaky eggs like they have at the library, and a dog. And when we opened the shaky eggs, the girl knew just what she wanted to do with them. She made sure everyone had one (thank goodness there were four in the package, and Matt was at work!), requested her favorite song on the CD player, and started running around shaking her egg, inviting us to do the same.

Birthday morning

So we did. Who wouldn't? We played with shaky eggs for a while, and after a bit it was time to go to the park. Naomi loves parks, it was a beautiful day, and we happened to find one that she could pretty much run loose in without me freaking out over her the whole time (something neither of us enjoy). It was fun to say yes to everything, specifically when she wanted me to run inside a couple of times to track down various stuffed animals as we were pulling out of the driveway. I love not making my kids cry. And it was fun to be able to cave without making the bigs jealous, because if there's one thing they understand, it's birthdays.

After the park, Naomi took a nap (after all, she personally doesn't understand birthdays quite enough to protest one yet). When she woke up, Daddy was home, Grandpa was on his way and her favorite snack (Goldfish and raisins) was being served. Things couldn't be better.

With help only on the technical stuff,
Kalina made Naomi a board book of
pictures of all her stuffies!

Naomi quickly caught on to the delights of cards and presents, and after intently and excitedly playing with each one, she quickly requested the next. "Another present! Another!" For the most part, the big girls did well at letting Naomi enjoy her cards and presents herself, and Kalina kindly fell into the role of card reader (even the hand-written notes!). But Kalina also found herself feeling jealous, and she and Elise mentally made notes (I could tell) to sneak off later with Naomi's new things to try them out without pesky toddler-birthday-girl hands interfering. After all, they're not so much bigger than the birthday girl that it's inconceivable for them to think this way sometimes.

Naomi knew exactly what to
do.

Although Naomi kept joking (I hope) and saying she wanted a "meow meow" cake, I made a "woof woof" one for her,  based on everything I know about my girl. It turned out adorable. The bigs had decorated the table and Naomi's chair with various dogs and other stuffies from home, plus a few decorations we'd picked up at the party store, and we ended up with a festive taco dinner (a rare dinner food Naomi will actually eat!) and celebration. While she needed help blowing out the candles (and received plenty), she knew just what to do with cake: use her fingers to lick off the frosting, and occasionally attack it with a fork.

As Part 2 of Naomi's birthday, the next morning we drove through a downpour to meet Grandpa at Purina Farms. Although the car ride was a bit longer than she wanted, she soon found herself surrounded by friendly doggies and kitties, and wearing a puppy shirt, no less. We pointed and petted to our hearts' contents, and the rain let up enough for us to watch a dog show, too. "Look!!" Naomi would exclaim. "Dog jump in water!!" She was in her element.

Just me and these dogs and my doggie
shirt!

Of course, Kalina and Elise, enriched by their allowance, couldn't resist the gift shop, and each picked out a tiny stuffy or two. Could we let the birthday girl go home empty handed? No one is that cruel. She got a tiny puppy and confirmed it was to "Keep!"

And so ended the birthday, but it was certainly a sweet memory, and Naomi is certainly two.

Naomi may be a tiny two-year-old, but there's nothing little about her personality. She loves dogs (woof-woofs), and can spot them from across a playground. We draw them all the time, and then we draw her, and then we draw her holding doggies, and then we draw Poky, and Aunt Nancy, and Daddy and all the rest. Naomi adds lines and circles and dots sometimes. But it always comes back to doggies. 

If you click on this, you'll see how
Naomi is making an actual tractor
noise.

She also loves her play kitchen, and making food for various babies and doggies. She adores going outside, reading books (even long ones, and often the fairy books Kalina likes), dancing with her big sisters and helping me sweep. The girl detests the vacuum, and occasionally my hair dryer. Naomi makes lots of jokes and sings songs, and is the first in the family to actually take an interest in doing pattycake the right way, and all by herself, no less. In fact, she can make her way through several nursery rhymes, with or without motions. 

Possibly even more startling for our family is the fact that Naomi loves playing with other kids, and does so seamlessly with social skills far beyond her age. She'll happily share with other kids (not as often in her own home--it figures!), engage in games and generally participate pleasantly. She puts up with the constant mothering of four-year-old friends, sometimes for hours at a time, and even drew a very shy 3-year-old out of her shell. I believe she's surpassed all the rest of us in peer socialization, with flying colors and a big smile on her face. 

Watching doggies dive, jump, catch and
look cute!

Except for the pushing: she pushes random small children on the playground, but in the cutest, most playful way possible. We will eventually learn that except for with the neighbor boy next door, playing doesn't mean pushing. It used to be worse--mere weeks ago she was pinching everyone smaller than her and even making them cry. Yikes!

Naomi can count a bit, wait her turn (for a teeny toddler amount of time, anyway), and continues to grow her vocabulary of animal sounds. Her actual vocabulary is certainly not far behind. She can say something hurts "very badly" in the cutest way, she'll good-naturedly attempt to repeat almost anything you toss at her and she can carefully and pretty understandably string together short sentences. The littlest is smart enough to tune into her big sisters, and knows that whenever they get a treat, she has grounds to demand one as well. If Naomi had a favorite color, it'd be purple. Elise seems okay with that, as long as Naomi doesn't claim the purple plate at lunchtime (which sometimes happens anyway).

We all love our Naomi and enjoyed wishing her the happiest of birthdays!

Every picture Elise poses for
nowadays includes this ballet
flourish. (Kalina diverted
Naomi while Elise sneaked
away with a popular toy to
make this creation!)

Elise adores blowing up balloons. There
were a lot at the party.

She's seven: Kalina's birthday journey!

"Best birthday ever!" Kalina decided.

One way you can tell your child is growing up is by their birthday plans. Last year, we enjoyed a fun and fantastical fairy party with Kalina. This year, Kalina didn't want a party, and wanted few gifts. She simply hoped to spend time with family and enjoy a treat or two on her special day. Possibly a trip to the zoo for the family, and a Mommy-Kalina date, and she'd kindly send Elise to the candy store so she'd get to celebrate separately, but equally. How thoughtful! How lovely! How...seven? Are they all this grown up?

Although Kalina had admitted she was "starting to get excited about presents," they weren't her focus. Case in point:
Me: Elise, would you rather be rich or famous?
Elise: Famous, so then everyone would look at me! (And Elise flashes one of her dazzling, "life is grand and a bit funny, isn't it?" smiles.)
Me: Kalina, how about you? Rich or famous?
Kalina: Neither. I feel like I already have too much stuff, and I don't want people to look at me.

Whoah. I didn't try to argue her out of it, of course ("But if you were rich, you could give all the money away!"), and instead marveled at the amazing girl growing up in my house.

The paper-making kit looks
really fun!

But Kalina did have a few "wants" for her birthday--namely, a pinata and a pet. She really wants a dog or a cat, but understands, in her seven-year-old way, that dream will have to wait.(The pinata, however, is planned for Uncle Tom's visit, because what's more fun than Uncle Tom and a pinata?)

Her most favorite want, however, was to see Grandma and Grandpa for her birthday. And sometimes in life, things just work out. As it happened, we were already planning a trip to meet Grandma and Grandpa in Iowa, and one day that happened to work perfectly was June 28: Kalina's special day. How could we not? We made the plan, and then made the journey with our ecstatic still-six-year-old.

The bigs packed their own suitcases, and also helped as gopher, finder, checker, baby watcher and many other odd jobs as we got ready for the big day. Mommy was inspired by the Laura Ingalls Wilder books we'd been reading (if Laura and Mary can do it, so can my girls!), and the girls were actually happy to help. Setting off on a Saturday morning, Matt and I discussed in the first hour how we could picture taking more, and longer trips soon. What fun we were having! Kids happily entertaining themselves, new scenery all around, and a rare opportunity to actually converse with few distractions.

Rainbow Magic books hand-picked by
an attentive Elise!

The rest of the six-hour drive, however, Naomi and I spent in intense negotiations deciding how much time, exactly, Mommy would spend sitting beside her in the backseat. She won. Naomi at this time also started chanting "Home, home" and never really stopped until we pulled into the driveway once again (she did have a fun trip, though). Kalina, on the other hand, happily dug into a stack of Rainbow Magic books we checked out from the library, and Elise led the cheer for "Snack! Snack!" every thirty minutes, and occasionally busied herself with an activity book or general Elise chatter.

We arrived with plenty of time to play: we were staying with some friends, including a sweet one-year-old who was a bit afraid of us. By the end of the trip, gentle Kalina had patiently and kindly coaxed the girl into a little friendship. In the meantime, Naomi claimed all the toys, Kalina doted on the dog and Elise did the monkey bars in the backyard all by herself for the first time! Go Elise! And although Naomi wasn't thrilled with our delicious dinner ("If it's not blueberries, I won't eat it.") and even less so with her pack and play, she went right to sleep, being about as tired as a one-year-old who missed a nap.

Kalina's birthday dawned through thunderclouds, but the whole family woke with sunshine in our eyes as we dove right in to celebrations. Our hosts were kind enough to supply Kalina with "birthday cereal" (Lucky Charms), and the birthday girl opened a bejeweled yellow dress that was almost as radiant as our little seven-year-old herself. Kalina and Elise happily chattered about their marshmallow charms, even donating a couple to Naomi (who somehow knew they wouldn't taste like cauliflower) as they eagerly anticipated seeing Grandma and Grandpa within the next hour or two and swimming in their hotel pool.

After the pool. If you look
closely, you can see that
Naomi's eyes are actually
open. They will remain that
until bedtime.

Soon enough, we were there! We spent the morning paddling around (Kalina even tried the hot tub), playing with a favorite game from Kalina's preschool days (Don't Break the Ice) and generally having a lovely birthday. Then we picked up sandwiches and headed to Living History Farms, where Kalina hoped to milk a cow or hold a baby chick.

Next to Grandma and Grandpa, sheep
were some of the most exciting
parts of Kalina's birthday.

The farm always has surprises in store, and rarely disappoints. No cows needed milking and no baby chicks needed cuddling, but a couple half-grown lambs were willing to be chased and petted, much to Kalina's delight. She and Elise did that for a while and fed chickens grass, and those activities did the trick to make it a lovely day on the farm. Kalina also had the privilege of performing her current piano favorite on a pump organ.

Dairy Queen, at the birthday girl's
request!

Our next stop was Dairy Queen (Kalina's choice) where the bigs both confidently and immediately ordered chocolate ice cream with M&Ms (Elise) or Oreo's (Kalina). And then we were off to a favorite park for presents and playtime.

Despite the fact that Kalina was more excited about spending a special day than unwrapping gifts, she was plenty happy with the craft activities, books, scooter and pet coupon she received for her birthday. Special thanks to Elise, who had thoughtfully remembered and chosen the exact Pet Fairies books Kalina was hoping for.

After a farewell to the grandparents, who were making the trek home that night, we brought weary and weepy kids to the nearest McDonald's and ordered a trio of Happy Meals. Somewhat tragically, the meal that Kalina was most looking forward to all day proved to be almost too much. Too tired (and sad, already missing Grandma and Grandpa, and full, having stuffed herself with ice cream) to eat much more than a few fries and a solitary chicken nugget, she contented herself with putting together her toy. The Happy Meal was much more of a Melancholy Meal, but it still counted.

Kalina was cheered up by the sweet little toddler awaiting her at the house, and we were soon calling it a birthday night. No-Nap Naomi fell asleep almost as soon as her head nestled into the pack-and-play mattress, and her big sisters soon followed her to dreamland.

Elise is a little bit scared of the buffalo,
but Kalina is more concerned with
making sure her kitten is in the picture.

The next day dawned sunny all around, and we were quickly off to meet Uncle David and Aunt Debbie at a prairie reserve nature center. The highlight of our visit was Kalina's series of impromptu prairie puppet shows, which had just the right balance of prairie wildlife and humor (a bird busily babysitting three nestfuls of hungry birds while the parents were at a party, a frog jumping away from a coyote, a buffalo and a coyote duking it out, and more!). The girls enjoyed spotting real buffalo out the picture window, and seeing some of the wildlife we'd been reading about in Little House on the Prairie.

A happy birthday cake
from Aunt Debbie!

We had lunch at a beautiful park where Kalina detected and uncovered a nest of squeaking baby rodents (mice? gophers?), and then we visited Uncle David and Aunt Debbie's apartment. After a brief rest time (even Naomi, who managed to sleep for 30 minutes alongside Matt!), Aunt Debbie served Kalina a lovely birthday cake and we celebrated once more.

Then another park, dinner, another park and it was time for bed. Our trip was mostly over, and we headed for home the next day, Kalina contentedly digging into the dozens of Rainbow Magic fairy stories she had at her fingertips, Elise continuing to remind us about snacks and Naomi utterly refusing to nap, but not crying too much. All in all, it was a lovely birthday vacation!

And what a lovely birthday girl! Kalina is growing sweeter and more responsible by the day, although she retains just enough mischief and forgetfulness to remind us that she's still a kid--and thank goodness!

Kalina's two favorite
puppet-show characters.

Kalina can pick out a tune by ear on the piano, add and subtract two-digit numbers (usually), make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and scrambled eggs, doggie paddle, get to know new acquaintances, recite verses from memory, find her way home from across the neighborhood and sometimes across town, point out homonyms, talk knowledgeably about plants and geography, sew an entire project all by herself and write a letter to her penpal, with only a little help with spelling. She loves the arts and continues to make up songs, in addition to humming along with the Sound of Music and other favorites. She also makes up her own craft projects alongside Elise, and dances lovely ballet even though she only had a few months of lessons. She keeps her bed neatly made (most of the time) and knows how to clean much of the bathroom, although I only make her and Elise do it when I'm both short on time and in possession of plenty of patience (which sounds like an oxymoron, but it doesn't have to be).

Kalina played a pump
organ!

Our seven-year-old still resides in her own little world much of the time, but still doesn't like to be too far away from the inhabitants of this world. Lisa, the lamb that's been with her forever, is her best friend. She thinks that snorting like a pig is funny, as are mooing and sneezing, which I really don't get. Kalina has developed the ability to do things she doesn't want to without (much) complaining, handle disappointment, tackle challenges like drawing a panda, push through frustration without coming completely undone (sometimes), see the bigger picture and delay gratification. She's a pro at waiting patiently, and thinks her little sisters are absolutely adorable, pointing out cute photos of Elise and Naomi rather than herself when we go through the album. She enjoys being the oldest, sometimes in secretive cahoots with Mommy to help make sure the littles are taken care of, and she giggles importantly whenever we're developing an elaborate plan to distract Naomi from the pincushion she's been eyeing, for example, or make sure Elise doesn't feel upset when she can't draw a person quite as well as Kalina can. She thinks it's hilarious (and rightly so) to make up a "moral of the story" for the board books she reads to Naomi.

Naomi's new friend: Aunt
Debbie!

Speaking of little ones, she can be unusually gentle and patient with them, and would often rather spend time with a 1- or 2-year-old than with their older siblings. Kalina has kind words and pats for all the neighborhood dogs, and even some sympathy for the neighborhood creepy crawlies (although not always). A favorite act of charity is to gather sticks from the yard, place them on the front of our driveway, and sidewalk-chalk a note that they're free for dogs.

Kalina is generally quiet and even-keeled, but can very easily turn loud and goofy (sometimes too loud and goofy). We're working on time management (reading has been a setback, as getting lost in a book is much more fun than brushing your teeth), responding, and a few other skills that can too often be forgotten by introverts and dreamers.

Kalina's favorite foods are pancakes, watermelon and all kinds of treats. She enjoys salad and the cheese sauce we put on broccoli, and loves to chow down on peanut butter and jelly or fish sticks for lunch. She also relishes pasta, tacos, cheese pizza and hot dogs, but a surprising new favorite is schnitzel with noodles (thanks, Maria). She's lost her love for blueberries, but makes up for it in cherries. Her favorite color is pink, and then purple, but she usually changes every couple of months. She's happiest when she's quietly expressing herself through crafts, music and even cooking projects, spending time with those she loves and digging around in nature. Plus reading her beloved Rainbow Magic series, of course.

Naomi also loved playing
"throw Grandpa's new golf
ball!"

One of Kalina's favorite expressions is and awe-filled "Beautiful!" when confronted with various jeweled, flowery and glittery creations at stores or at home. She has good taste in art and music alike, and can recognize advertising when she sees it: "Mommy," she whispers in Target, so no other customers overhear and feel bad, "Look, those signs are advertising! They want us to buy all that stuff we don't really need!" Smart girl.

But Kalina is not entirely grown up. Although she let a lot of her stuffies get stashed in the basement a couple months ago, and much of her allowance goes toward purchasing additional stuffies for her expanding collection. That is fine by me--and I'm a little bit glad that eight is a long, amazing year away.

Happy birthday, sweet Kalina!