Everybody's Getting Older

So this is birthday season for me.  My sweet, spirited, beautiful, Punky Brewsteresque daughter Eden Chaney Christine is now 7 years old.  I know you are all thinking that it is not possible.  I could not possibly be old enough to have a 7-year-old child.  But it is true.  I am that old and I'm not sure, but I think certain parts of my anatomy have begun to sag in the past year.  But more about that later.

Chaney is my party girl.  I think it's partly due to growing up in the flower world, but she loves to plan and throw parties.  We would have several a week if it were up to her.  So she of course had to advise me on how her "surprise" birthday party should be carried out.  She wasn't too specific, she requested to be surprised, coconut cake and a pinata or peenyata (as she would say).  Not too hard.  That I could handle.

So I put up a few balloons and we grilled out and had a fun time.  She was surprised and everything was great.  Of course I got a little harassment from my sisters for climbing up into the tree (Technically it wasn't climbing, I used a ladder) to hang the balloons, but I thought the decorations were fun.  The balloon tree did end up looking like a giant Easter egg tree, but still very springy and fun.

The Birthday Prince and Princess.  Dave's birthday is two days before Chaney's and so it was a co-celebration.

And I can't leave out my little pixie, who I must say is getting quite feisty herself.  When being corrected by Noney this past week, she turned around and told her grandmother to "shut you mouth."  Part of me finds that hilarious and part of me finds that mortifying that she has picked it up.  She was promptly re-corrected and the incident has not occurred again. I do love this phase where they somehow instantly go from one or two words to complete sentences.

 
And we did our usual family birthday tradition where we go around the circle and everyone has to... gets to say what they like about the birthday girl or boy.  This is a great tradition if it is your birthday and everyone is saying lovely things about you, but I must say that if you are last in the circle of 20 people, it is very difficult to come up with something original that has not already been stated.  Thus we have a lot of fights about who gets to go first.

So next week I turn 30 years old.  People keep asking me how I feel about that, and I feel great about it but I think I might be in denial.  When people ask me how old I am I have to hesitate because my first response is 18, but then I think, no, that's not right.  Somehow I still feel 18 though.  And really I'm happy to be turning 30.  It's better than the alternative of not turning 30.


So in preparation of the big upcoming event I thought I would come up with a list of birthday wishes for the coming year.


1) I wish that all the hair on my legs would miraculously stop growing without laser treatment and I would never have to shave again. And lip hair too while we're at it.

2) I wish for a cupcake a day.

3) I wish that everything I plant will grow.

4) I wish for an audible life soundtrack to stream down from the heavens.

5) I wish to avoid boob droop for at least one more year.

6) I wish for a pony.

7) I wish for the bottoms of my feet to not feel like rawhide.

8) I wish to have a one-year no red light streak.

9) I wish for sweet dreams.


But mostly I wish to be able to offer everyone I come into contact with in the coming year from friends and family to strangers and acquaintances a little piece of something beautiful, that brings them joy, peace, hope or love.  That people always walk away from me feeling lighter of spirit.  That no matter what project I'm working on that I'll always have time for a cup of coffee and a chat.  That I'll appreciate the beauty that constantly surrounds me, in the sky, in the grass, in the wind.  That whatever I do I do it with all my heart.  That my girls grow more in sweetness and in strength.   That I will be content be still and know.  And that my heart always be full of gratitude that I have more than enough.

Keep a look out.  I'm going to be posting some pictures of the pretty flowers that are beginning to bloom in the garden.