Happy Birthday, Lone Star Baby!

Not such a baby anymore - she's seven! 

Our tradition on birthday mornings for the girls is that they follow a ribbon from their room to their birthday presents, so the Lone Star Baby did that this morning. The big surprise waiting for her was an easel, well packed with supplies.

Even though the Lone Star Baby will always be my baby, I believe that seven is the end of being a baby in terms of development, the real beginning of childhood, when one's mind is no longer so absorbent and one starts filtering and choosing ... and so we have a little Blessing Way.  The Lone Star Baby stepped over a braided ribbon this morning to symbolize leaving her babyhood and stepping into childhood and accepted a golden dragon doll to symbolize the magic of childhood that she is entering.

Then it was time for presents and brunch and more party preparation.  The Lone Star Baby had a fun-in-the-sun themed backyard party with her friends, featuring water relay races and water balloon tosses and water balloon races and lots of running in the sprinklers until the yard was a lovely oozy mud pit.  There were popsicles and ice cream and cupcakes with little umbrellas in them.  I do believe that a good time was had by all.  Even the parents seemed happy enough to have their children returned to them wet, sugared up and covered in mud.  It was really fun.

The party was followed by showers.  Then dinner at a restaurant, a family board game and a family viewing of a TV show that the seven-year-old had requested that we record for her while we were out.   

Our girl said it was her best birthday ever.

These activities brought us to past the time at night when this sparkling girl (whose mama loves her so much) was really born seven years ago, and so, after a little reading and back scratching, she has now been tucked asleep in her bed. 

Happy Birthday, Lone Star Baby.  So many Happy Birthdays.