Rhiannon's 5th birthday

Rhiannon's 5th birthday has come and gone and we enjoyed ourselves. It is hard to believe she is 5 now - for some reason this birthday seems bigger to me than the others. She seems so much more like a little girl now and like all traces of baby and toddler are gone. She seems so much more grown up now. She is a bright and sunny girl who is very happy to make us happy. She is much more about trying to please us than she ever has been before and she is very sensitive and caring about others feelings.

She weaned herself from her last nursing by saying to me "Mommy would it be helpful to you to only nurse two kids instead of three? Would that really help?" I said that it would and she said that she would be done - now she crawls on my lap and asks to cuddle or to read to be close. But I think that exemplifies her sensitivity and caring she gave up something that was VERY important to her because she knew it would help me - she often does the same for her brother and sister as well - she really wants to see everyone be happy and do what she can to help.

Her 5th birthday was enjoyable - we celebrated her family party the night before. She requested a "white pie" pizza - which is pizza and cheese without the red sauce and sprite for dinner - we agreed. Serona took her to pick out a cake at the local grocery bakery and she picked some decadent chocolate cake they all enjoyed. We watched "The Absent Minded Professor" all together and had a wonderful night. The next morning Serona and I woke up early (she requested we be up before her) and started making her flower crown. Each year on their birthday we make a crown of flowers for the kids to wear and then we save them. Serona made the crown while I got things ready for her party.

That afternoon the kids from her homeschool group came to celebrate with her. We had a pool party - the kids took turns sliding down into it and running around like crazy people. She had an Aurora cake and lemonade. We had a few snacks of watermelon, pretzels and carrots (her choices) and the kids played inside and out. We have enough grass in the house now to start a yard - but that is what Roomba is for! She enjoyed wearing her birthday crown for cake and presents and she seemed to really enjoy herself.

Some gifts she received this year include: a joke book, some dress up shoes, flavored chapstick (by request), some My Little Ponies, a great animal sticker book, a new summer wardrobe (car of grandparents), several books she requested, some dress up for her dolls, and hermit crabs. She was very blessed and very thankful.

That evening I took her out for a special date - just me and her. We headed to the local toystore where she got to spend 25.00 she had been sent. She bought a velvet purple cape, a ring, and a tiara after examining several times the entire contents of the store. Then she requested we go to the library so I could read her a story - we read Alice in Wonderland abridged and then checked out Albert. We headed over to Perkins for dinner (macaroni and cheese with fresh fruit) and then Culvers for dessert (a chocolate ice cream cone), while she ate I read her Albert. We headed home and she opened her presents from Serona and I: A clipboard (one of her favorite gifts), a special pencil with eraser, homemade leashes for her stuffed animals (she loves these), a Child's Garden of Verses, Pickles to Pittsburgh, and Around the world books, a wooden iron and a puppy (soon to come next week).

All in all it was a great birthday.

Peace,
Tenn