Happy Birthday, Eliza!
Hello, my love.
Each year, I write another letter to you, and I am always sorely tempted to go back and read the last letter. But I resist. I want each letter to be based upon what is happening in our lives - your’s and mine - right this moment and not about all of the prior years. Now, after I finish, sure, I’ll go read. Maybe when you’re older and read all of these, you’ll read them all at once, over and again, too. Maybe not. But you’re a lot like me, so I suspect you will read them many, many times.
That brings up an interesting question. You’re reading quite well now. I wonder when I should begin giving you these letters to read. I suppose I’d just always imagined giving them to you when you’re older. I think I’ll save that as a question for another day.
You are reading well, and you seem to enjoy it, but you enjoy all of school. Some days, I crawl into bed with you in the mornings and ask if you’d like to play hookey, just stay home and play instead of going to school. I only ask because I know, without a doubt, that your answer will be, as your roll your eyes at me, “no, mama, I have to go to school and learn.”I never, ever ask Griff if he wants to play hookey. He wouldn’t answer the same way you do.
Your teacher this year says you’re really, really good at math. Clearly, your daddy’s genes run deep in you. She was telling us at our conference last week that you like to go to the board and show her different ways of answering the problems. I’m quite impressed with you.
Everyone talks about how sweet you are, how kind and generous. You have the gentlest spirit about you. You always want to help and do things for those around you. Now, everyone also talks about how quiet you are. On that, I’m pretty sure you’ve got folks snowed. But whatev. (’Whatev.’ You taught me that word. Told me the ‘er’ wasn’t necessary.)
You still think Griff’s the best thing ever, but you’ve also discovered that, at 13, he’s more than a little annoying. You’ve got plans for what we’re going to do for his room when he goes to college. One day, it’s going to be a spa bathroom. The next, a craft room. The next, knock out the wall between the two rooms and make a giant room for yourself. As long as you share with me, I’m ok with it. I love that you still say you’re going to live close by me forever. I’d love for you to live close by me forever. (Griff, too, but he’s against that idea these days. Let’s move to the beach somewhere & make him jealous he made a bad choice. Whatcha say?)
You’re clever and funny, and you make us laugh. You think that any event is reason to get dressed up ‘fancy.’ And you think we should all join you in the fancy. You think your daddy is the best man ever (and I happen to agree). You’re a very girlie girl, but you very much don’t want anyone to tell you that you can’t do something, and I respect that.
You’ve discovered in the last year that you enjoy shopping, and you’ve become my best shopping buddy. You haven’t opened your presents yet, so you don’t know it, but you’re getting new clothes and gift cards as presents, and I can hardly wait to go shopping with you. You get so excited. Your Aunt Stacy and I took you and Hannah to the spa a few weeks ago as an early present, and you were so sweet and thankful. I appreciate that you make a point of being appreciative (one of your spelling words this week).
So here you are… eight. And I’ve said it before, and I hope you never get tired of hearing me say it because I’ll say it forever. For a lot of years, there were three of us. And we had no idea that our family was lacking. But God knew that our family needed an Eliza. And I thank God every day for you because He knew best, and you bless us every day in countless ways.
I love you Eliza Lillie.
Mama
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Happy Birthday, Eliza
Dearest Eliza,
I can hardly believe that you’re already six years old. You are so big and strong and healthy and smart and wonderful. I am grateful to have you. I am grateful to be here with you. 
Each year, when I write these, I try to avoid reading the ones that I wrote before. I want each year to be based upon our family right now, upon who you are right now. But this year, I went back and read the very first one that I wrote to you. I had forgotten some of the things that happened (which is why I keep this blog), and I was reminded of how strong my spiritual life was at that time.
My relationship with God has changed in the intervening years. I am less fervent but more confident. Your faith is innocent and precious and reminds me that even though your daddy and I don’t take you and Griff to church, we are instilling in you our core spiritual beliefs. I’m quite sure that when we do go back to church, it will most likely be at your request, and I thank you for that.
You’re a lot like me, little bit. You remind me of the things that I used to love about myself and have either ignored in favor of family responsibility or forgotten was a virtue. I’m thinking a lot these days about my next birthday - 40! - and about what turning 40 means to me. I was born when my grandmother was 40, and I’m going to have a kindergartener. It’s an odd contrast, but one that I’m happy to experience.
You are bossy and determined and insistent. You are smart and funny, and you like to ride your scooter in the house while wearing a princess nightgown. You are currently trying to decide which boy you will marry, which drives your poor daddy crazy. You still think your brother hung the moon.
You’ve named my kitchen ‘Chel’s Cafe’ and you like to be the sous chef, waitress and general girl in charge. You interviewed your dad just last night to determine if he was fit to continue in his job as head dishwasher.
I said it years ago, and I say it today… our family needed an Eliza. We just didn’t know it.
We love you.
Mama
(P.S. A very happy birthday, too, to Harrison, whose wonderful mama came to visit me the night you were born, even though it was Harrison’s first birthday. And a very happy birthday to your Mick, who never expected his first granddaughter to share his birthday.)
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Menu Plan Monday - Eliza’s birthday edition
We got home yesterday from a weekend at the Nick Hotel in Orlando with Chuck, Stacy and the cousins where we had a wonderful time doing a little pre-birthday celebrating with Eliza. (If you ever get to go, be sure to do so. It’s just a lot of fun.) I’m reasonably sure we’re going to spend most of the rest of the week celebrating as well. 
Have I mentioned that I hate packing lunches? Because of Griff’s food allergies, it’s safer for me to pack his lunch. But the things he’ll eat for lunch aren’t things that translate well to travel. He also got the unlucky draw of having PE right after lunch, so everything needs to be really light. So we’re working with the trial and error method at this point. Right now, he’s liking vegetable sushi (which I’m going to try to learn to make myself) and hummus with pretzels and fruit. I’ll take any other suggestions anyone might have.
Monday - turkey burgers with fries and apple slices
Tuesday - chicken Ceasar salad wraps (Eliza most likely won’t eat it, but I may deconstruct one for her and see what happens)
Wednesday - Eliza’s 6th birthday - I always let the kids choose, and she wants to go to the Mongolian Grill. I’ll make her a cake, too… pink with rainbow icing… again, her choice. Wait… no, she just told me she wants to go to Chuck E Cheese. I don’t know where we’re going, but we’re going out.
Thursday - chicken and yellow rice (love the Crock-Pot)
Friday - paninis … easy Friday food
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a little Spongebob fun…
For Eliza’s pre-birthday celebration, we met Mike’s brother and his family at the Nick Hotel in Orlando for the weekend. We got discounted Florida Resident rates (woohoo!), and even with food, it was probably less than I’d have to spend for a big party with friends. And we all had such a good time.
The birthday girl at the bottom of one of the waterslides.
The Lagoon waterslide area. There were about six or seven waterslides all mixed in there together. And the big bucket periodically dumps vast amounts of water on everyone below.
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Happy Birthday, Eliza!
Hi, there, precious. Happy 5th Birthday!!
I can hardly believe this is my fifth such letter to you! I know you’ll think it makes me sound old to say this, but it honestly is like I blinked and you were big.
Really… look at this when you were a year old … or this when you were two … or this from when you were three … or this from just last year! I’m astounded at how quickly the time is passing. I want some days to scoop you up and hold you so tight, to pull all of the energy and love out of my time with you that I can. I want to surround your little self with all of the love that your daddy, Griff and I can give you.
You are amazing, you know. You’re strong and brave and powerful, even if all that force is squeezed into a tiny package. You drive me crazy, of course, pushing all of my buttons. I can only imagine what we’re going to be like together in another decade. Your daddy dreads it already. Think of it, by then, Griff will be away at college & it’ll just be the three of us. Two strong-willed girls and Mike. Makes me smile, little chickie.
But to tell you the truth… the things that drive me crazy about you now are the things that I want you to really embrace when you’re older. You’re independent and determined to do things your own way. The fact that everyone else is doing something has little bearing on your decisions, which will serve you well as you get older if you can hold onto that.
You make me smile, Eliza. These last couple of years have been hard on us, me and your brother, especially. Last night, Griff told me that when he is angry or sad or upset, he thinks about you and he feels better. You don’t know it now, but that’s a really groovy thing.
As for me, I look at you, and you take my breath away. You are so beautiful. And you are so strong and spirited. And I am proud of you. When people say you look or act just like me, I remember that I should be proud of me, too. So I thank you for that reminder of the woman I am apart from just being The Mama.
I’m quite sure you know already that you’ve got your daddy wound around your little finger. I’m pretty sure he’s ok with that.
You crack us up these days. You like to sing everything like we’re all in some weird non-school version of “High School Musical.” You could live on sausage, popcorn, cheese and chips. You could eat your weight in sausage, frankly. Grosses me out. You have to take a stuffed animal or baby with you EVERYWHERE you go. You push that darned baby stroller all over the house with any number of babies in it, making such a racket! You like to pretend you’re a cat… drives your daddy bonkers, which makes Griff and me laugh.
I’m glad you’re still little enough to be sweet and give hugs and kisses and first-thing-in-the-morning snuggles.
We are endlessly blessed to have you. We are ever-thankful for Dr. A for seeing what needed to be done for you and for me and for doing it quickly and without hesitation. He’ll be getting birthday goodies himself today. Some day, when you’re bigger, we’ll tell you all about how he saved us. For now, just know that you are dear to us beyond words.
We love you, sweetie.
love, mama
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