Little Acorn

The Birthday!

SUCH a fun little party with a few special friends. Adeline can't stop talking about it and she loved every minute of it - carriage ride, tea party, treasure hunt, dancing, cake, bubbles and playing with her friends. Riding in the carriage was like being in a parade - everyone smiled and waved at us and the girls waved right back!

I couldn't see Adeline's face, as she was on my lap, but I'm told that this satisfied little smile never left her face while Ruby carried us through some quiet beautiful streets down the to ocean and then back to meet the Daddies who were waiting for us.

Back at our place it was time for a tea party. I went to the thrift store and bought a little tea pot for each of the girls to use to pour their own iced tea, which was pretty thrilling.

I used my fanciest tablecloths and some fairly fancy china, put out a bouquet of flowers and made a special felt birthday crown for each girl. We tucked the tea party under the Japanese maple to stay in the shade as much as possible.

After tea time we had our treasure hunt, which was definitely Adeline's highlight of the day. I had taken pictures of various things in the yard (watering cans, the slide, the stairs, etc) and then hid the pictures under or in each of the things and the pictures led you from one place to another until you finally got to the treasure. I wasn't sure if this group of two newly three's, a three and a half year old and a four year old could figure it out, but these brilliant girls were so smart and worked together to go from clue to clue.

The treasure was homemade sparkly capes, ribbon wands I bought on etsy (I can't do everything!) and some shiny necklaces.

The girls all got dressed up and danced and danced and danced! David took lots of video of the day and I'm glad because they were all SO SWEET.

Then it was time for cake, of course.

Then presents...

Then bubbles... Adeline got the bubble machine as a present from her honorary Auntie and it actually works amazingly! It's probably our third bubble machine and the first two were duds, but this one seems to really deliver and the girls laughed and laughed as they chased and popped the bubbles.

After that the girls all wanted to play with Adeline's new playdough and they must have sat around the table for at least an hour while the grown-ups all relaxed.

It was a great party, with great people, and my big three-year-old loved every minute of it!

Adeline keeps asking "Am I three?" and I keep telling her she is. I think even she can't believe how big that is.

Three Years Ago

At this age, Adeline only thinks of her Birthday as a time for fun and friends and presents and cake. For a new three year old It's just an uncomplicated celebration of all things Adeline, but for me it's so much more, and I'm sure the time will come in the not too distant future, when it becomes more complicated for Adeline as well. In the midst of preparing for my daughter's Birthday, I'm also thinking a lot about Adeline's birth day and the people who brought her into this world and made what I can only think was a very hard decision - the decision that they could not parent their beautiful and perfect baby girl.  Adeline's first family is so much a part of her - her gorgeous eyes, her long monkey toes, her outgoing personality, her musicality and her fearlessness are all things that she didn't get from me, but are so much of what makes Adeline who she is. I wish almost every day that I could know Adeline's birth family. That I could tell Adeline's birth Mother that her girl is safe and loved above all, and that she is spirited and smart and creative and kind. That she is strong and healthy and happy. I wish her birth Mother could see how Adeline laughs and sings and dances through every single day. I wish I could tell Adeline who she looks like and who she gets her gifts from and of course I wish I could answer the big question of "Why?" which I know is coming. This is not an open adoption and to many people that seems like the easy choice. They think that when Adeline's questions come I can just say "I don't know" and somehow that lets me keep more of her to myself, but really it's so hard. I know that any ache I feel can't compare to what Adeline may feel as she processes the events surrounding her birth day and her adoption and her family and all the things that we just don't know and that she will probably never know. I can't tell Adeline the story of the day she was born, but every day I hope I tell her in my words and actions that I'm so happy that she was born, and that she is exactly who she is, and that the world is a much better place because she's in it.

THREE

Busy busy getting ready for Adeline's birthday party on the weekend. Adeline has been on holiday with her Nana since Saturday - 4 days without my girl and tomorrow will make 5! While I definitely miss all the laughing I do when Adeline's around and my girls sweet face and sweeter hugs, kisses and snuggles, I am really appreciating the alone time, the sleep (oh! the sleep!) and the ability to clean up the house and have it stay cleaned up! I know Adeline is having a fabulous time with her Nana and I've been happily crafting up a partys worth of fun - felt crowns, sparkly capes and miles of bunting to decorate. It felt like I had my own private sweat shop downstairs in my work cave studio, but I have to say I REALLY enjoyed the sewing I did for the party and I really miss the creativity, the working with my hands and the sense of real accomplishmen that I used to get when I was creating things regularily. Okay - we'll add that to the list - "Lisa needs to find a way to craft/create/design/work more". I've also been organizing a treasure hunt that is fun and do-able for little ones, collecting things for a tea party and pulling a years worth of weeds in the garden. There will still be weeds, many, many weeds, but there will be LOTS of bunting and a handful of happy little girls in crowns and sparkly capes, so maybe no one will notice the weeds?

But can you believe that the girl is THREE? Three is big, people. Really really big.

I promise many party pictures next week and while I should be apologizing for the lack of posting, I'm just going to say "Summer, you know?" and I'm sure you'll understand.

Farm Girl

Adeline has very tender feelings towards animals, so a visit to a farm with her friends was a perfect outing while we were on our holiday. I think she would have sat all day long and patted the velvety head of this sweet and sleepy calf.

Adeline checked all the nest boxes, but she only found hens, never eggs. I've thought about some urban chicken farming in our backyard but 1) our yard isn't the right size to comply to the city bylaw about coop location, 2) chickens are a lot of work and 3) I'm probably glad our yard isn't the right size since chickens are a lot of work.

There were also chicks that Adeline patted gently and listend to intently. Adeline is always so calm and kind with animals, which is so sweet to see and it's nice that I never have to worry that an animal might get hurt.

Adeline was trying to head through a field and over the fence to get closer to the trail-riding horses.

Adeline loves horses and she was absolutely thrilled to have her first pony ride. At first she was a little stiff and hanging on SO! VERY! TIGHT! but she soon relaxed and was chatting with the cowboy and singing songs about cowgirl Adeline and her pony Ginger.

As exciting as riding Ginger was, the highlight of the visit for Adeline was definitely helping to milk a goat and then getting to bottle feed a kid. Her expression as she fed that baby was one of pure joy, incredible wonder and such tenderness - it made my heart happy to see my girl having what was obviously such a special experience. Of course we had forgotten the video camera that day, as we do far too many days. Sigh.

 

In early August we'll be going up to visit Adeline's Nana and she doesn't live too far from Tiger Lily Farm, so we'll definitely be making another stop.