In Case They Ever Wonder

Lulu,     You have changed so much the past few months! At eight months, you started crawling, but nice and easy, just a little here and a little there. Until you decided to take off. It seemed like you went from slowly winding up on a different side of the living room from where I'd sat you down to truly speed-racing down our long hallway! At the same time, you've gone from happily eating whatever veggie I offer to total frustration that you can't completely feed yourself! You've gone from sitting happily in the middle of the bed with your siblings in the morning to diving for the edge while Daddy and I nearly fall all over ourselves trying to keep you safe! I've whispered in your ear, begging you to slow down, not to grow too fast, but I don't think you are listening. I think the problem may be that your siblings are yelling in your face to follow them, to run and frolic, to get into mischief and mayhem, to grow up alongside them.       ...

Sophie had one of her most perfect days on her 8th birthday, and I loved that we were able to give her a dream-come-true day! She woke up to a birthday breakfast, but without our typical doughnuts because we were headed straight for the Franklin Farmer's Market. We showered her with art supplies and an Ariel birthday sign, and she was thrilled about all of them!  At the Farmer's Market, Sophie roamed around like the gypsy she is, thrilled to have $10 (instead of her usual $5) to spend! You can't imagine how much Sophie can buy with $10 at the Farmer's Market! When honey sticks are going for a quarter, that can make for a long day! It was hotter than blue blazes, and we'd brought Aunt Tori, Uncle Derek, Aunt Hope, and Zoe, so over half our crew had to head inside The Factory before Soph had finished her shopping, but not before we all enjoyed treats and lunch from Biscuit Love!  After the Farmer's Market, we all head to Honey's, a new candy ...

This post is inspired by the book The Birthday Questions  by Jeff Anderson. We may begin the tradition of asking these questions on the first day of school rather than on birthdays because all the kids really want to be asked on the same day, but for now, here are Sophie's answers on her 8th birthday. What is your name: Sophia Paige Roden How old are you?: 8 When is your birthday?: The day I was born. :) July 7, 2004 What is your favorite color?: It changes every year. This year it is turquoise blue. Do you like boys? No Do you have a boyfriend?: No Who do you want to marry when you grow up?: Mr. Nobody Who is your best friend?: Jack McClanahan What do you want to be when you grow up?: a nurse and a teacher What is your favorite sport?: tennis What is your favorite tv show?: Arthur What is your favorite movie?: Brave Who is your favorite singer?: I don't have one. What is your favorite song?: I don't have just one, but one of my favorites is Rol...

One of Will's favorite books when he was a baby is now one of Lillie's favorites, I Love You Through and Through , and I couldn't help but think of it as I looked through Lulu's six month pictures. I love your top side and bottom side Your inside and outside I love your happy side and your sad side Your silly side and your mad side I love your fingers And your toes Your ears and your nose I love your hair  and your eyes Your giggles and your cries I love you running and walking Silent and talking I love you through and through Yesterday, today, and tomorrow too!

Lulu,     You are my fourth baby, and while you have many things in common with your older siblings, there are also many ways you are my one and only! A lot like your big brother, you are tough to make laugh, and when you do laugh, you  snicker, kind of like you are trying not to, but just can't hep it! And you already have a sophisticated sense of humor! Not only does it take a lot to make you laugh, when something does make you snicker, it will only work a couple of times! Much like all your siblings, when you don't find someone funny, you have a way of looking at people like you think they are crazy! Even though I don't hear it that often, when I hear your precious chuckle, it is the sweetest sound in the world! You are my one and only baby who prefers vegetables to fruits! I just love that about you! Right now your favorite food is peas! You also love sweet potatoes and squash, and you aren't really crazy about apples! I love that you know what you like and wha...

Sophie is spending the night with my grandparents. In some ways, that seems totally normal to me. I've spent countless nights with Mee Maw and Big Dad. Many of my very best childhood memories include my time with them. But they aren't Sophie's grandparents, but rather her great-grandparents. I mean, how many kids get to spend that kind of time with their great-grandparents? I remember spending a few days in "the country" where my great-grandparents lived, which was amazing, but even at that I don't think I was nearly as close to them as Sophie is to Mee Maw and Big Dad. In some ways, I feel a little sad when I watch my grandparents with my children because they are no longer the larger-than-life, always-on-the-go, way-more-fun-than-your-parents couple they used to be. Mee Maw and Big Dad took me on my first trips to Washington D.C., New York, LA, and Las Vegas. And that's just the beginning of the adventures we went on together. In my years at Alab...

Warning: If you hear a deep voice behind you quietly growl, "Hey, Humpty Dumpty," the next thing you know you will be on the ground, courtesy of Will's straight-arm shove. Just ask Sophie.