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We have an 8 year old! Like everybody else born in December, Audrey is a little cheated by the season, mainly because it's pretty hard to throw a birthday party this time of year. But she is definitely not hurting for gifts and happy attention. We love our birthdays in this house.
Last weekend we took Audrey to the American Girl store in Los Angeles where she got to buy her favorite doll, Molly, and have a lovely family dinner at the American Girl cafe with adorable fruit kebabs, cheese pizza, and a ultra-sweet trio of miniature desserts: cake, cookie and chocolate mousse. Her cake came with a candle and a song, and she was embarrassed and thrilled at the same time. She said it was the best birthday of her life and then said it was the best day of her life, so we felt pretty good about how it all turned out.
Audrey is in second grade. Her teacher is Mrs. Andersen, a very, kind, patient and organized woman who just the other day at parent-teacher conference put her hand on her heart and said "I absolutely love having Audrey in my class." We are not at all surprised at Audrey being loved because she is a sweet person, calm, polite and responsible, and friendly to all. She saves all her grumps for mom and dad, but we know that's normal so we try not to mind.
Audrey can't stop reading. We take her to the library and she checks out 20 books and reads one each day. She is so proud of herself. Audrey has tried everything from soccer to cheer leading, and still needs to find her passion. Reading might just be her passion, but we hope she finds a physical activity she likes, too. After the holidays she's going to start piano lessons, take tennis again, and try Tae Kwan Do if I can convince her. Audrey is an amazing climber. We can't keep her off the tree in the front yard even though it hardly looks strong enough to hold her weight. She can also climb our street sign like a monkey all the way to the top and touch the letters. She has an eye for colors and patterns that show in her school work and art projects.
Maturity and obsessive reading have earned Audrey a later bedtime. She settles into her bed around 7:30 pm with an audience of stuffed animals and dolls and reads until 8:30. She has to be careful not to read anything suspenseful or scary because then she has a hard time falling asleep. She likes to sleep under at least 4 blankets and when I check on her it's just piles of bears and dolls and quilts with her head sticking out of the middle.
Audrey has started to eat more fruits and vegetables and has actually admitted to liking broccoli, green beans, apples, and watermelon. She does love her pizza and burritos, buttered pasta, white bread and most sweets. I guess the food update is a throwback from the days when eating habits were more of a concern, but I figure she might be interested in this information one day, especially when she becomes a mother. She's a great little bike rider now, and we've put every possible safety device on her purple beach cruiser, so we can almost relax when she's on it. Audrey is a Brownie. Her Girl Scout troop is busy planning camp outs and doing cookie sales and service projects.
Audrey is a good big sister, but is often envious of her sister's free time and excursions with mom. Claire, of course, really wants to go to school and doesn't think grocery shopping with me is all that great, but Audrey wants to stay home and play and have samples at Trader Joe's. They still play well together, but spend a little too much time trying to boss each other and getting nowhere.
Audrey is really growing up. She's starting to become aware of her clothes and wants things to match. She calls out her parents when they break family rules and does it so sensibly all we can say is "Yes, you're right." She is learning to keep secrets - not bad ones, just easy things like what we bought dad for his birthday. She complains a lot about her homework and spelling tests. Audrey has started to enjoy showers and she can almost get all the soap out of her hair. Sometimes she tries to teach her sister new things, like letters and how to do cartwheels. She loves to tell jokes and play with words.
I write something like this for Audrey every year, and every year I mention her prematurity. Eight weeks early is serious, and I can't help but think of the circumstances of her birth when her birthday comes. Of course, we hear of babies born much earlier than that surviving and living normal lives, so it becomes easy to think that having a premature baby is no big deal. If you have not experienced it you don't know what it's like: the moment when you realize your pregnancy is over and your baby is coming whether she's ready or not; that first 24 hours when your baby "forgets" to breathe and her monitors blare and the nurse who is at your baby's side constantly gives her a shake and then she remembers to breath again; the hole in her heart that might or might not close up as she grows; and the tiny tiny body, in a tangle of tubes and wires, that you hold in your palms because she's too small to cradle or put over your shoulder. We were blessed with a healthy daughter - no matter how unlikely that seemed on the day she was born, and for me that is always part of the celebration of her birthday.
Something new I thought I'd try this year was a few questions for the birthday girl herself.
What's your favorite subject? Reading
What's your favorite food? Pizza
Name your favorite book? Good question. I can't pick.
Who are your good friends? Abby
What's special about you? That I'm so good at reading. I'm good at swinging and playing.
If you could have one wish come true, what would it be? To get a puppy.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Good question. I don't know yet.
What is your favorite time of day? Recess and lunch!
What is your favorite thing to do with your family? Play Uno.
What's your best joke? Knock Knock, Who's There, Isobel, Isobel necessary on a bicycle?
We love Audrey so much and love watching her grow. We appreciate her kind heart, her honesty, energy and generosity. She's smart and beautiful, entertaining, curious, creative, and just the best kid in the world. We are so grateful she is our daughter.
Happy birthday, Audrey!
2 comments:
Happy Birthday Audrey! She is beautiful and you do such a great job writing it all down. I love seeing all the pictures together how she has grown over the years!
I can't believe our babies are 8. I loved seeing Audrey's 2004 pictures. That was the summer we met you guys. It takes us back! Where is the time going! Happy Birthday to Audrey!
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