Happy Birthday, Ellie!

I am a week late.  I’m not sure what happened, but I will get this posted before we host our family for a joint birthday party. 

Ellie, you are our koala bear, the one who doesn’t let go, the one who just needs some reassurance.  You are talk about nothing … sometimes just to hear yourself talk, I think.  But other times you reach deep in your conversations. 

At bedtime the other night, you asked me, “Mommy, are there some people that don’t like people like J?” (J is a student in her class in a wheelchair that is fairly non-verbal.) I said, “Yes, Ellie.” And then we talked about how people used to treat them like they were stupid, and they would put them places where no one saw there.  And I explained how they used to not go to school like they do now, but there were people that thought that was unfair, and now they can.  Then, we prayed, like we do every night.  And you asked God to help people who didn’t like those like J. to know that J. was just like them in many ways.  And I thought, She’s got it.   She understands this love thing.

You like to try new things – when you’re ready to, and sometimes with a lot of encouragement. 

You can be embarrassed by almost anything I do – cheering at a game, dancing while we walk, me talking to someone I pass by. 

You laugh freely.

You play teacher, read books (quietly and aloud to your class), bake, create, draw, and play babies. 

You also create small messes, forget what I ask you to do, interrupt in your excitement, and put your foot down about some things.  But that’s okay.  It tells me you have some independence growing in you and your own personality. 

I mentioned the quote I put on my desk calendar for Madison being perfect.  The one I chose for you is equally perfect.  It says, “She is delightfully chaotic, a beautiful mess.  Lover her is a splendid adventure.”

Ellie, you are bring joy to our lives.  I hope you have a splendid adventure as you fly through year 8!  Be who God created you to be, love those around you with abandon, and stand up for what is right.  We are so excited to see where God leads you.

Harlem Globetrotters

We try to do something fun for the girls birthdays every year.  Sometimes it is bowling or ice skating.  This year, Jeremy suggested the Cavs game.  And it would have been good.  He ended up going and getting great seats for dirt cheap.  (The Cavs are not having a great season, so the tickets were reasonable.)

But, Jeremy saw that the Harlem Globetrotters were going to be in Canton over Christmas break.  I thought the girls might like the action and entertainment that they provide over an NBA game.  We won’t know which they would have liked better, but we do know they really liked this!

We left in time for supper.  We ate at Taggert’s Ice Cream Parlor in Canton.  They serve great ice cream; the girls and I stumbled on this place after getting the flu vaccines the week before.  But the food is great.  I highly recommend it for all kinds of reasons. 

Then, we went to the show.  It wasn’t sold out, so we adjusted our seats slightly once we realized that we could move a little more to the center.  We were well entertained – fancy passes, corny jokes, slam dunks, three point and four point shots, ball tricks, and more.

        

Even though it started at 7pm, it took it out of them!  They gave in on the way home, which is unusual for them.