The youngest child in our family had her golden birthday, which is also her first double digit birthday this year. Ten years old! So crazy to think she has been with us for 10 years. I remember her first night with us. She joined us a little before 5 in the morning and didn’t make a peep. I was very worried but the doctors assured me she was fine and healthy. Then she snuggled into a ball and slept on my stomach where she spent the first nine months of her life, just now on the outside instead of inside.
She wanted to have a party with some friends for her 10th birthday. With the move from our home to our rental I was a little off the ball and didn’t get something booked in time for her birthday. We managed to figure something out though. She invited her besties Reese, Cambrie, Millie, and Jovee to have pizza followed by laser tag and a ropes course up in the air at Main Event. Matthew and his girlfriend Campbell came with me to help supervise and make sure everyone was having fun. After that we all piled into the car and came back to our house. We had ice cream cake, opened presents and played games until it was time for pick up. It was a successful 10th birthday.
Shortly after her birthday Emilee had her first piano recital. She has been playing for about a year now. She goes through periods of willingness and enthusiasm to play. I am encouraging her to stick with it long enough to get to the point she really gets it and can play things on her own. I think she will really like it. She had been planning on playing a song from Wicked for her recital. I guess her teacher had told her to switch songs the last week to one she was more comfortable with. I didn’t know though so I had her practice the Wicked song and she never practiced the original. So she played it for the first time in over a week at her recital. 🤦‍♀️ She still did fine and it was a good experience for her. She is learning she can do hard things. She is now playing Christmas music which has re-excited her to play more. I think if I can get her through one more year she will be hooked and realize it is fun.
November was also Emilee’s 4th grade musical performance. She has never been a fan of these yearly performances. Matthew was fine with whatever was assigned to him. Allison always wanted the biggest part and went all out on her costume. Emilee tries to tell me she is sick the day of everyone. She always turns down a speaking part and will not dress up. Since she is tall she is usually on the back row. This year she was next to a very enthusiastic boy that was all in for all the song actions. Emilee tried to melt into the person on the other side of her and looked like she was wishing to be anywhere but where she was at. Since she didn’t want a speaking part her teacher had her play the xylophone for one of the songs. She did her best to look miserable the whole time. When she saw me recording her she couldn’t help a little smile sneak out. Such a funny girl.
