Pippa's fifth birthday

Pippa the firecracker! She has grown by leaps and bounds this year and enchanted (and frustrated!) us all with her insatiable thirst for learning and getting things done. She is my best dinner helper, always wanting to get her hands on REAL things and do things that have a REAL effect. Real knives. Real vegetables. Real fire. She was never much one for pretend play or dolls. Nope. No dolls. But whenever I let her, she's right there helping me with everything. This year was quite eventful for her!

She has begun drawing representational things. And they are darling.
She started writing her name (all on her own)
She cut her own hair
Her cat died
A baby brother was born.

December 2016

The infamous haircut, Christmas day it looked like this.

On her birthday, Blaise was only a few days old. My German friend Christine came over and brought a delicious German cake and flowers! Pippa got a school workbook (she loves workbooks), some puzzles, and an umbrella. Later we had to celebrate again with Daddy home from work. I think we finally finished watching Pete's dragon (which you remember had been interrupted by Blaise's labor), while we were finishing the cake at 9PM! She had asked for an MnM 5 cake, so even though we'd already had cake that day... we had another! I love you so much, Pippa. God has his fingerprints all over you! Love, Mama

From the instagram post:
My wilder one is 5 today! 5 years ago we were living with friends in a city we had just moved to and one day I just sat there so sad for my little coming one, no place to put a nursing chair, no one who cares to shower her with welcome. God stopped me in my tracks by bringing to mind Mary the mother of Jesus. No room in the inn. No baby shower, no rocking chair. In fact, she was giving birth next to the animals and had to set the baby in a feed trough because there wasn't even a bed! From then on there was a joyful fierceness in my pregnancy and labor. WE would love her. WE would make room. From the moment she came out, she's been a heralder. Her voice was so strong that the nursing staff couldn't believe she wasn't a 3-month old! She is a heralder of the Kingdom. She is one who makes room. Happy birthday, you fierce one. Go big.

 I love you so much, Pippa. Love, Mama