Happy Birthday Jane! You have been talking about this birthday for about a year now. More specifically you've been talking about how you are going to get a unicorn birthday cake for your birthday. I'm actually surprised that you kept so loyal to that idea because so many things have changed over the past year. For example, you are no longer obsessed with Peppa Pig and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Paw Patrol and PJ Masks have now taken over your life (our life). In fact, you ask Google to play their theme songs every day so we can dance to them. I was certain by now you would be more into drawing and writing and sticker books, but you don't have time for that nonsense. You like to spend your time with your Paw Patrol figurines playing make-believe. Usually you ask for a bath every day. Not to wash, but to play with your toys (Paw Patrol pups included). If it's not in the bath, then we are building a lookout tower out of blocks for your pups. You also like to pretend you are a puppy, namely Skye (from, surprise, surprise, PAW PATROL). You like to assign everyone in our family, including Tucker, names from the Paw Patrol show, and you will call us only by those names, and if we call you Jane, you like to correct us and remind us that, no, you are Skye right now! It is very cute. Every morning before we start our day, your question to me is, "where are we going today?!" And you will ask it over and over until I've figured it out. Usually every morning is me and you time. We go to the Library on Monday, and these days I have a tap dance class that I attend on Tuesday mornings and you come with me. Wednesday or Thursday is usually Parent-Link (you call it play place) or Costco. And sometimes Friday we like to do drop in gymnastics or Parent-Link in High River to switch things up. Yesterday you were so bummed because Zoe was home sick so we went NOWHERE! Yup, sometimes that happens too, but thankfully not too often. You definitely don't like to sit still for too long. But, speaking of "long," something you have given me over these four years is a generous afternoon nap! Still! And every day! I will hang on to that as long as I can! The mornings may be for you and me, but the afternoons are when I lock myself in my office and get some work done! This year you have really come into your own Jane. I have loved the process. You have always been an independent little girl, but even more so this year. You want to do everything on your own. A lot of me is proud, but even more of me is nervous! Just the other day, someone knocked on our door. You were supposed to be in bed, and I didn't hear the door. But you did. So you went to the door by yourself and opened it. Someone had left a plate of cookies, so you picked them up and brought them to me in my bedroom. Ha! I was full of questions, and very grateful that the plate of cookies were dropped off by friends and not kidnappers. I am sure of it that one day you will get kidnapped because you just go and do whatever you want. Who needs rules or a Mom? Like I said, proud, but scared! Haha! And speaking of "go and do," we are learning "Nephi's Courage" in Primary and after one Sunday, you had that song DOWN! You were singing it all around the house. It was so cute to hear you make up words for the parts you thought you knew. Not a chance I am correcting that. We also learned the second verse about a boat, which you also have down (in your own Jane-way). And the following Sunday when I asked all the Primary Children what they thought the third verse was about, you shouted, "an airplane!" So well-timed and so adorable. I love you so much. Last night you climbed into bed with Dad and I at midnight. I usually don't love that. In fact, you did it A LOT last year (usually a few times a week) and finally over the past few months you grew out of it and have stopped. But for some reason, last night you just needed a little love and I think what is happening here is that Joe and I are realizing that our little baby isn't a baby any more. I want to hold on so tight to you, Jane. No wonder the youngest in families are always so spoiled. I get it. I want you to be little forever. I want to give you everything. Even for this birthday it was so hard not to want to buy you ALL the presents (I didn't). It's just, how much longer are we going to have our little girl for? How much longer will you be our baby? Well, for me, you will always be my baby (whether you like it or not). I love you Jane. You are my buddy. One by one I've watched each kid start school and be gone all day. I used to dream of this time when all of my kids will be in school at the same time (which is another year and a half away), but now the thought of it makes me so sad. Maybe I'm blinking away tears right now, maybe I'm not. What am I going to do without my little buddy? So for now, I will hold on tight as long as I can. Don't grow up too fast Jane.
Here you are sporting your new unicorn dress (and a variety of smiles) which was waiting for you on the kitchen table the morning of your birthday along with some unicorn Lucky Charms cereal. You were PUMPED!
I used to care about cakes. But these days I feel like it's more fun when the birthday kid helps. Well. More fun for them! And Jane, you were all over this cake. Sprinkles, sprinkles and more sprinkles.
The problem with having older siblings is you get to watch them all invite their friends over and get a bunch of presents (like Ellie just recently did), and then you have this massive expectation! Haha! I was not planning on doing a friend-party at all (not until Kindergarten). Just our family. Nice and simple. But you were talking about it so much that I couldn't disappoint you. SO, last minute I called up the Moms of all the kids in your Sunbeams class and we met at McDonald's for lunch where I treated them to a Happy Meal and you all played at the Play Place. It worked out kind of nice because all the Moms just visited. I brought cupcakes and voila. A birthday party.
Unfortunately not everyone in your class could come, but we still got three out! Not bad for last minute. L-R: Tyce Richards, Duncan Steed and Solomon Keeler.
We were very close to having an Urgent Care kind of evening. Just as we were packing up to leave, you and Tyce cranked faces and your nose got really swollen and bruised. And then it started bleeding. Ack! I called up Joe and sent him pictures because I didn't know how serious to take it, but thankfully you were okay. Just some Advil and a nap!
It was THEE longest afternoon for you waiting for Dad to get home from work so we could open presents from the family and eat cake. Again. You already had a cupcake, so when we handed you a slice of cake you said, "I'm okay!" and bounded off! Haha!
Happy Birthday Jane! (Note the missing Skittles around the cake. You are one mischievous little miss!). May this year slow WAY down and be an awesome one! I love you!
