Okay, the Last April Birthday Update....

It has been about a month after my last April birthday...so I am just a little late in keeping people updated, but here you go....

L-Girl turned 9 last month...along with S-Girl turning 4....and A-Girl turning 11.

We did not celebrate on her actual birthday, partly because she had softball games and partly because I was gone.  Yes, I was not around on her birthday. 

You see, there was this women's conference, Extraordinary Women,  that the ladies from my Sunday School class had decided to attend and encouraged me to go.  Now, you may have figured out by now, that I have had a hard time adjusting to my new life here in Georgia - without my best friends and sisters, Karen and Kandi.  Rainman even encouraged me to go and "make some friends".  These are ladies that I see Sunday mornings for 45 minutes and then sometimes on Wednesdays for the same amount of time.  So, they weren't strangers, but there is nothing like sharing a bed with someone from your Sunday School class to bring you closer, right?  So, I excitedly signed myself up for the adventure which would involve the conference Friday night, staying at a hotel and then more conference on Saturday.  I was very excited.  It was going to take some arranging to make things work for the kids and Rainman while I was gone, but it could be done. 

Then, L-Girl said to me..."You know that Saturday is my birthday, right?"

Oh.

Um.

I kinda, sorta, forgot.

I thought about backing out, but Rainman encouraged me to go and we mollified L-Girl by saying that even if I was home, it would be hard to celebrate because she was going to be busy with softball.  I did leave her a few little surprises for her to discover on her birthday, while I was gone too.

So, a few days later...we actually celebrated her birthday.

A few things you need to know about my L-Girl.  She loves fruits and vegetables.  She would pick this.....

as a snack ...even if she has brownies for an option.  I have for her entire life been trying to find the perfect birthday "cake" for her.  I have tried a mandarin orange cake.  One year I made lemon bars (so far I think that was her favorite).  I have made a cream pie kinda thing covered in fruit.  This year she asked for a lemon cake and said I should surprise her with what I came up with for decorations.  So, here is what she got this year...

Can you tell it is a strawberry?

I used strawberry flavored frosting....it was actually quite tasty.  The biggest test?  She liked it too.  She didn't love it, though, so the quest continues!!!

She got things like this for her birthday...

A sprinkler and a water gun.

My L-Girl is, and always has been, a bit on the wild, adventurous side.  A girl who has always been covered with bruises.  A girl who (most of the time) doesn't care what the world things of her.  A girl who always has a twinkle in her eye.  A girl who flings herself wholeheartedly into whatever is in front of her....usually fearlessly. 

In short. 

She is the kind of girl I have always secretly wished I could be.

I was almost always well-behaved (right, mom?).  I didn't like to make a scene....unless I was actually on stage pretending to be someone else.  I could never really throw myself into the moment at a party or in a game....because my head was always worrying about what other kids/people....or worse yet....BOYS... were thinking of me.  I was and am very cautious.

L-Girl throws herself into every moment and looks at every situation as a good time just waiting to happen. 

I will admit that I find this troubling sometimes.  We have recently had talks about what is considered lady-like behavior.  It is a tough balance - because I don't want to totally squelch the inner vivacity she possesses - but I also want her to be able to gauge a situation and choose to act appropriately....does that make sense?

She is awesome.  She is smart....school, so far, comes very easily for her.

She is courageous (almost too much so).  She is the kind of girl who gets a black eye from a Lego fight....and goes back for round 2.

She is a snuggler. 

We call her our "kitty" because if you sit down, it won't be long before she is circling and finding the right spot to sit and snuggle with you. 

She is crafty.  She made these flowers to wear as pins on your clothes...

Then she decided that they would look nice on headbands...

She just asked me to cut her hair.  As part of our Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover, we have given up on salon/stylist cuts and I have become the barber.  She wanted bangs.  I said no.  She asked again. 

I said yes....now she looks really old.....and beautiful....although it helps that she was wearing her frog princess footie pjs in this shot!

I worry for the boys that are going to fall for her....I think it will be like moths to a flame.....