this moment ::

Inspired by Soulemama's {This Moment}

{this moment} - a friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from my week. I want to pause and savor this moment.

this moment ::

Inspired by Soulemama's {This Moment}

{this moment} - a friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from my week. I want to pause and savor this moment!

Our Birthday Rhythm

I was inspired after writing last week’s post to share our Birthday Rhythm with you all today. It has developed over the past several years into something that each child remembers and looks forward to on their birthday morning. In fact, last week on the morning of Rosemary’s birthday, Elise who is 5, walked into the kitchen for breakfast immediately asking if I had decorated for Rosemary’s birthday the night before. Then each came down one by one peering into the dining/art room as I heard several “wow’s” pronounced from them. That makes a mama feel proud, and was very helpful in healing some of those emotions I had been going through all week before her birthday.

When they were younger, I would go out to the party store, buy a bunch of plates, cups, and napkins in whatever character they were in to at the time, with also matching crepe paper to stream up all over the dining room ceiling in whatever configuration I could come up with. As I began to sew more, this evolved into making two cloth banners, one with pink tones and one with blue. So the night before the birthday, the appropriate banner is hung.

Next comes out the birthday ring, which inevitably becomes a mad dash early in the week to either order the correct number for the child's ring that year or another brass ring is needed. These are usually ordered from either Nova Natural or The Wooden Wagon when needed.

Lena's 6th birthday - 2009

Jonmichael's 7th birthday - 2008

Elise's 3rd birthday - 2008

In the past several years my sewing has evolved to more knitting, and I usually do my best to have something handmade for the child’s birthday. They haven’t always been the most treasured gift, but as they have gotten older, they do take extra time to appreciate the handmades and thank their mama appropriately!

Lena's 7th birthday - 2010

Lena's 5th birthday - 2008

Elise's 3rd birthday - 2008

Rosemary's 1st birthday - 2010

I always try to put something on the table that is special for that child. Either something that was made for them in the past that represents them as I have here on Rosemary’s birthday table this year – her one year old book and minky/taggie that I made last year that I chose to hold her cards in – I also collect their cards as they come in the mail that week for their birthday which are opened the same time as the presents. Birthday crowns are also brought out and special pictures.

We also have done a special presentation at the birthdays which requires a little bit of time writing down special milestones of the year. A lit candle, representing the Sun, is placed in the center of a circle laid out with string. The child walks slowly around the string circle holding a globe, which represents them living on Earth, one “year” at a time as I read the description from notes I’ve written on cards of things they did each year. At the end of their “journey” up to that year, the child blows out the candle in the center of the circle. They love this birthday ceremony!

Lena's 5th birthday - 2008

Lena's 4th birthday - 2007

There will surely be more birthday celebrations to share as we have two more birthdays to celebrate this month!

Rosemary is 2!

I wasn’t sure how this birthday would go honestly. On Sunday I started to feel sad just thinking about it. She wouldn’t be able to eat the cake, she wouldn’t be interested in opening any presents, the party would really be for us. Then my husband gently reminded me how important it would be for the rest of the family to celebrate Rosemary's day just like we do for everyone else. The others would be able to experience celebrating Rosemary and be just as excited to blow out her candles on her cake, and open her presents for her, most of which two year olds can typically do themselves. Her dinner and dessert would be her normal formula given through her G-tube instead of our birthday dinner of spaghetti and cake. And that's okay.

Yesterday, I started to get more in the mood as I went to Fresh Market to order her cake. By the evening of setting up the dining/art room table for her birthday, that excitement began to build and return in which I was all familiar with for each of our other my kids' birthdays.

As I woke up this morning on her big day, I was happy again, excited, and full of joy to celebrate Rosemary for just who she is and where she is at this moment. The evening was a joy, with soda pop in glass bottles, spaghetti, & cake I kept it simple for our family but fun . . . and there were definitely some memorable moments made that I will never forget!

So this is the journey of a mama in search of what normal feels like for this dear one's particular milestones in this life. I'm learning that while her normal may appear differently then ours, it doesn't necessarily mean that we're the normal ones. She teaches us so much! I'm loving it!

That sweetie, cutie pie of mine! Happy 2nd Birthday Rosie!!!

Reminiscing

I've been reminiscing a little this week, and rightly so, our little Rosemary will be 2 next week . . . I know, 2! I can hardly believe it! I made her this book last year and never got around to blogging about it. Our family loves it so much. It sits on a table in our family room for us to read over and over with her and each other.

Here are a few pages from the book:

So with a birthday just around the corner there has been:

fabric bought
sewing patterns picked out
knitting to finish up
cake to bake
and so much love and reminiscing to do.

Reminiscing - that's what birthdays are for!