There was something so sweet about this little scene as I walked past Faolan's room the day before her birthday party. Her little red ladybug dress was pressed and ready and the new little red shoes with polka-dot bows beckoned her like the ruby red slippers from Wizard of Oz. I want to burn this picture into my memory, for I know the day will come all too soon, that the door might be closed to hide the secret messy living of a teenage girl. After all, she was just a baby last week. Now she is four.
I made a little birthday crown out of stiff felt for Faolan's lady bug themed birthday party. The whole party theme began last summer on an excruciatingly hot July day. We do not have air conditioning, and it was Tim's birthday. Turning on the stove to bake a cake seemed like something none of us could bare. So Finn and I went to the market and got a store-bought cake. She helped me pick it out. Her first choice, you guessed it, was a ladybug cake. "Are you sure that is something you think Daddy wants....or is it something that you want for your next birthday?" I asked her smiling. After a moments pause, Faolan agreed that maybe it would be more appropriate for her birthday. And so the ladybug theme began. The idea of a themed party is fun for me and I credit it to keeping some of my sanity intact through dismal Februaries.
Here are some photos of our little four year old lady bug queen and her birthday party.
The day of the party we were lucky to have warm enough weather to have an outdoor bug hunt. I bought a few bags of plastic bugs at the dollar store and hid them all around the back yard. I think most of the kids had a lot of fun. In attendance were our neighbors the Grobes and their daughter Penelope (who is also Faolan's classmate), cousin Justin & uncle Matt, cousins Bruce & Kate and Uncle Martin & aunt Karen all the way from Swartz Creek, good friends Holly & Joe Campbell with their darling boy Rory, our good friend Joy and her daughter (who is one week apart from Finn) Sabine, and aunt Evie & uncle Brian who came all the way from Detroit to help us celebrate.
In the first photo "Professor Von Trilobite" explains the habits of these bugs to the children and that the bugs do not hide in the flower beds! The kids had little bug collecting bags with magnifying glasses and other goodies inside.
After all the ladybug drama over the birthday cake, the market made the wrong one. It was supposed to be shaped like a ladybug. But when Faolan saw it she didn't care. So I didn't care. Thank Goodness her uncle Matt took some of these photos. I was too busy scurrying around like a little bee!
Time to open presents! People were so generous! Faolan got wonderful crafts and games (her favorites) and she even got her wish of a Darth Vader mask & a Yoda backpack.
In a very rare quiet moment at the party, Faolan's cousin Kate wanted to read to her. Is that not the sweetest thing? After the party, aunt Karen took the girls shopping at the fabric store so that they each could pick out fleece for blankets. Karen is going to make Kate and Finn matching blankets. Neither of the girls have sisters, so I think they decided to adopt each other!
Happy St. Patricks day! Faolan dressed in green and we walked downtown to see a parade. I'm not a huge parade fan as it turns out, but it is worth enduring for the enjoyment of my sweet petunia pants. She giggled in delight when I told her we would go. Why don't I like parades? The politics...especially during an election year (why are they allowed?) and rude people. The last three parades we went to someone stepped right in front of us and blocked our view. I swore this time I would speak up and be absolutely abrupt if I had to. We ended up sitting next to some very nice people. One older woman actually helped collect candy for Faolan that was thrown to the kids. The parade was the usual plastic green attire...probably made in China...not a speck of true Irish culture save for the lone man in a kilt. No pipes. That's ok. Faolan had a blast. She got two necklaces, a balloon and a bag full of candy. It doesn't get better than that for a four year old!
Faolan is learning to read. The other day she was playing with the flip book and she sounded out r-o-b. She ran into the kitchen where Tim and I were and exclaimed with excitement "I spelled my uncle's name! Rob!"
It touched my heart, so I had to take a picture. By the way. It was on "silly sock day" at school, hence her funny striped socks.
Tim gives Faolan 15 minute lessons on the piano every week day. Her random banging has begun to morph into something very tolerable. Her enthusiasm and pride in what she is learning makes me think this is the perfect window of opportunity. Her new chimp that she named "Jane" for Jane Goodall is from aunt Dorrie. Jane sits to listen to Finn play every day. Pinky....ring....middle...pointer...THUMB! Do re me fa so...
I came home one day to find Yoda babysitting one of Faolan's dolls. If you look closely, you will see that the doll has a doll....a Yoda doll! Yoda is very useful around the house. He reminds me of those house elves on Harry Potter. We treat him with a lot of respect though ;)
One fine day as I drove home from work I decided that I would take Faolan on a walk. We sometimes call them treasure hunts because she enjoys finding acorn caps, pretty stones and sweet gum balls. We have so many of these things right now that I thought a good solution would be to take her on a photo treasure walk. Here are some of the photos she took.
I took this photo of a robin on a walk with Faolan. The robin, for me, represents hope and change. My grandparents (Woods) and our family used to have a contest to see who could spot the first robin of spring. I remember the exhilaration as a child seeing that robin. I would call Grandpa and Grandma on the phone with glee. That excitement has never left me. As I grew older, the robin seemed to appear to me at times of great change. A whole flock of robins appeared on the bank of the Pine River at my Grandmother's house when we held a memorial for my father in March of 1991. I was alone outside and it was as if the flock (I had never even seen a whole flock before) was reminding me that there is hope even in grief...spring even after a harsh winter. Maybe it wasn't so amazing to see a flock of robins in spring, but when you consider a bagpiper was playing tunes, walking along the river bank on and off through the day perhaps you can see the miracle in it! I would have guessed every bird within a mile would have scattered to the wind with such powerful music!
I have seen another flock since at another time of great change in my life. This time in January. At least 50 of them. It is comforting now to see them. Now Faolan, Tim and I have contests. Tim won this year :)
May you all have hope and peace this beautiful spring.
