Sparrow turns 11

Sparrow's eleventh birthday...

Sweet, imaginative, loyal. I hit the jackpot with Sparrow as my eldest daughter. And she turned eleven. My little baby. She is highly creative, funny, and on my wavelength. =) We got to invite friends over and have a sleepover! They watched 'Moana' and made something crafty.

Eleven?! ...ELEVEN!!! This happened to my firstborn this week and I was the one in shock about the eleven. She is more than one could hope for in a daughter. She and her sweet friends are having a sleepover right now, and baby's only three weeks old, and part of me thought "What was I thinking?!" But I've learned a few things about parties, cause it ain't my first rodeo. My tips: When she says "I'd like an ice cream cake," and I think 'I could make that myself,' I autocorrect: "Um, no you will NOT make that cake AND clean the house while nursing a newborn. You will BUY that cake and actually have some fun at this thing." ⭐️ Paper plates don't have to be cute. ⭐️ You don't have to plan a whole bunch of activities OR have a theme, either. ⭐️ The most important things: friends, ice cream cake, oh and give her a whittling knife. ⭐️ WE LOVE YOU, SPARROW GIRL!!!!

Funny things Sparrow said this year:

Golden: “What should I draw for the month of March?”

Sparrow: “A clover, and a pot of gold, and a–you know–what are they called? …A LEPER!” (Bible raised! LOL!) -May 23

Sparrow, re: the YMCA pool: “They were having water Arabics or something…” -May 11

Me, to Sparrow: “You said you brushed your hair, but it doesn’t look like you BRUSH-brushed it.”

Sparrow: “I only partially brush-brushed it.” -July 17

Sparrow (10) reading the Dora book to the littles: “…me and Boots.”

Golden, getting conscious over proper usage: “She put herself first!”

Sparrow: “She always puts herself first. She does that. For a living.” -June 22

 I am journaling in bed, but out in the living room it sounds like a trading floor! The children are shouting “gob stoppers!” “Smarties!” “Who wants whoppers?” Yup. Trading trunk or treat candies like Wall Street pros. -Oct. 30 (Spasrrow was definitely the instigator of this....

Sparrow, age 10: “I’m definitely an emotional eater. Thing is, I’m usually only emotional cause I’m hungry.” -Oct. 13