Happy Birthday Baby!

She turned 5 today! My BABY turned 5 today! That is just not right! Papa tried to tell her that due to the recession, certain days were being removed from the year, thereby causing her to remain 4 years old for another year. She wasn't buyin' it! No Way! No How!

I had tried to talk her into waiting to have her birthday party after school started, so she could invite her new school friends to a party. She told me that she was not into "those kinds of parties", whatever that meant. She wanted her family at her party and she included Mimi and Bruce in that grouping because they are almost family anyway.

She chose burgers, hot dogs, watermelon, cantaloupe and a cupcake tower as her birthday meal. Easy and pretty cheap! Good choices kiddo! She even helped me to frost the cupcakes using our favorite "from scratch" chocolate frosting recipe.

She was thrilled to find "sprinkles" that did not have corn syrup and red dye 40 in the ingredients list, so she could have them! That was BIG FUN!

She was very patient all day long regarding the opening of the presents. Earlier, when Daddy had been building the bicycle that Nana and Papa had purchased, she ran outside and spied the bike. She told me that she would promise to act surprised when she received it. She did not want to spoil it for Nana and Papa! HAHAHA!!!

So she waited.....and was so patient.....well kind of....

But after dinner, she could control her excitement no longer and the begging started. So, "Present Time" was announced to the tune of screams of merriment!


Her first gift was an 18" Gotz doll that I had purchase long ago and put away for her. This doll has been discontinued a long time and she knew I had it but was waiting until she was a "big enough girl" to properly care for her. Ahnalin has named her new friend "Marina" and is already planning the wardrobe I will, of course, be sewing for her.

Her next gift was a nursery set, from big sister India, for her Calico Critters doll house. Ahnalin has already set the whole nursery up in her dollhouse just like the front of the box.



Next were a lacy tank top and a Sony Cyber-shot camera from Grandma and Grandpa. Yes, a sony camera for a 5 year old. But this 5 year old has an AMAZING eye for taking pictures. She is constantly taking my camera and takes really good pictures. So, G and G decided to get her a real camera instead of a kiddie camera. I can't wait to see what she does with it! Pretty pictures I bet!
She also received a bag full of Hello Kitty art supplies from her cousins. She got these great crayons that twist up to the point! Cool!

And last but not least, the PRINCESS BIKE!
Oh the bliss!! She promptly informed everyone that NO BIG KIDS were allowed to ride this bike. You see earlier in the summer, India had some friends over for a party and some of them raced down the driveway on her tricycles. They were too big for them and broke BOTH trikes. Ahnalin cried but dealt with it pretty well. So now she has a fancy new bike and no big kids are allowed to ride it!!

After all the presents, Ahnalin got to blow out the candles on her cupcake tower. Yes, there was a "5" candle and 6 other balloon candles, but who's counting?

Ahnalin kept thanking everyone and telling us that this was the BEST BIRTHDAY PARTY EVER!! It was exactly what she wanted and she was so amazing all day. At the end of the day, as I tucked her into bed, sang her songs, and prayed with her, she thanked God for putting her in THIS family to be loved by THESE people. I got all teary and she worried that I was sad. I told her how happy I was, not sad. She can be remarkably loving, tender, and empathetic. And today was such a blessing amidst all the attachment and PTSD stuff recently.

I end today thinking of the mama across the ocean, who probably has no idea where her baby girl is. I wish I could tell her how much we love her daughter, the daughter we share. I want to tell her "Thank you" for placing her where she would be found, and eventually, a year later, brought to us. I know that many in the adoption world cringe, when a child is referred to as a "gift". A child can not be owned so they can not be a gift. But I still say she one of the best gifts God has ever given to us.

Happy Birthday Ahnalin. We love you across the ocean and back again.