Dear Cadence (belated birthday)

Well, six months ago was Cadence's birthday, but I had just had a baby so I didn't get around to blogging.... ever.  So now we are home having our umpteenth snow day and the kids are watching a movie and the baby is sleeping and DARN IT, I'm going to write some things down for posterity :)

Since I've gone so long I'm going to try to summarize some of the wonderful wonderful things about Cadence as a 7 year old.  Ideally this would be a birthday letter.  But we don't live in the ideal world, do we?

7! Happy Birthday, Luv! (Six months ago...)

Cadence, now you are 7 1/2.  You are undeniably smart and determined.  You are socially intelligent.  You are a planner and a doer.  And you loooove to help and serve others.  Some things you love are: gymnastics, cooking, planning lessons or activities (you usually use your small pink clip board and make lists, etc), art, super smash bros., ice skating, and swimming.  You also love to ride your bike and to be creative outdoors (such as gathering small acorns and twigs and making a grand plan to make something out of them). 

Dad and I can always depend on you to do your chores 100%.  We love to see you get excited about a plan and execute it.  Your eyes light up when you have a grand design and you get moving fast.  At times this causes some friction because you REALLY don't like it when you've decided on a plan and I have to tell you that it's not going to happen or that things have to change.  For example, sometimes you like to plan parties for the weekend or playdates that I can't follow through because of previous plans or sick siblings, etc.  You are working on handling this disappointment better, but it doesn't come very easily :)

snowed in at the Clivinos, you build an impressively organized structure.

 

meeting baby brother

You are my big helper with the little girls and especially with Ezra.  At this moment you are playing with him while I type.  At this moment you also have a bruise that is exactly the size of his little mouth on your chin, where you let him suck/chew on it the other day.  You help feed him, too!  You are very proud of how much you get to do to help with him and you are always thinking of how to be more helpful.

Cadence, you love service!  You love to make me breakfast in bed.  You love to make cookies for neighbors or snacks for your sisters.  You get that same fire in your eyes when you think of a way to help somebody.  Or surprise somebody.  Oh, you love to execute surprises!

 Last spring when I was still expecting Ezra, Dad was on cruise/family reunion on Mother's day.  Each morning for the first three mornings you brought me breakfast in bed.  You always paid special attention to the presentation: cupcake flags in the toast, flowers in a cup, chocolate chip smiley faces!  The breakfasts were things like toast, gingersnaps, sugar snap peas, and starlight mints.  On the morning of Mother's Day, you proudly brought in my meal, but you accidentally tripped and spilled VERY pink strawberry milk of your own making all over my carpet and bed!  I was so sick and tired from the pregnancy I burst into tears!  I made you promise to not bring me any more breakfast in bed until Dad got back :) . You did your very best that week to make it easier for me, and I sure did appreciate that.  You are a treasure.

There are so many wonderful things about you, my sweet, strong girl.  You and I have a lot of heated discussions, but in the end you always hug me and tell me you are sorry, often in a sweet note.  You are strong-willed (which will lend itself to your success, I'm sure of it), but you are also humble enough to remember after the tempest has quelled just a bit, that you still have a lot to learn and that you will benefit from listening to what Dad and I are trying to teach you.

making an afterschool snack-- ants on a log--your plan, your execution

oh my, you are just too cute.

You don't always trust me to know what is best, that is the truth.  Like the night we fed Ezra baby cereal for the first time (he having only had mother's milk until then).  You begged and pleaded with us not to do it.  You demanded that I not do it.  And then when I went against your wishes, you hid under the table and sobbed, fearing for your baby brother's life.  Refusing to believe that your Dad and I knew what we were doing!

 

Cadence, you are strong, happy, and fun.  You always have been.  Keep it up and know that everyday we are grateful you are ours!