“Amanda? Who is that up there at the end of the toy soldiers?”
– Daddy, pointing to a lawn display of Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus (in her traditional red hooded cape.)
“Santa Claus!”
– Amanda
“And who else?”
– Daddy
“… Little Red Riding Hood?”
– Amanda
Well… a Straffin child has made it to another milestone. Emily turned seven years old today! As she gets further and further away from her first birthday, the significance of each birthday lessens as compared to the first few. The only mention of it at all was Shannon’s mother asking how long it’s been since Emily was declared “cured” (answer: two years ago.)
Birthday portraits at Sears went well. Shannon’s parents joined us for Emily’s all-request dinner of Lit’l Smokies, cornbread pancakes and green beans with one of Mama’s famous blueberry cakes for dessert. Yum! Check the gallery for pics once I fix them up (cropping, de-red-eyeing them, etc.)
The “real” birthday party is Saturday, with Emily having some friends over for a(nother) tea party. The tea party has been the birthday party of choice for both of my daughters for the last three years or so. We’ll see how long that lasts… I hope it’s a good, long time.
“Grampy! I have a toy dog! She’s Lady the Tramp!”
— Emily, referring of course, to her model of Lady from “Lady AND the Tramp!”
Studying Proverbs 10 with the girls…
“Verse 17 says ‘He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.’ So, what path should we be on?”
– Daddy
“On the path of life!”
– Emily
“Yeah! Not on the path of stray.”
– Amanda
“Daddy, I like counting backwards.”
– Amanda
“Really? Where do you start?”
– Daddy
“At 100!”
– Amanda
“What comes next?”
– Daddy
“16, then 19, then 14, then 15, then 16…”
– Amanda
“That’s not backwards… that’s forward!”
– Daddy, being more kind than truthful
“But I said 100 first!”
– Amanda
“You girls need to go to sleep right away with no goofing off. Tomorrow is a big day with a big surprise planned.”
– Daddy
“I already know what it is, Daddy. Gram-Gram told me.”
– Emily
“What is it then?”
– Daddy
“We’re going to a museum park.”
– Emily, who has been to the museum many times, but hadn’t yet been introduced to the concept of an amusement park
At Grandma’s house:
“Grandma, can I have some strawberry seaweed juice?”
– Amanda, who obviously misheard the phrase “strawberry kiwi“!
“E – I – N-G-O… E – I – N-G-O…”
– Amanda, mixing up a song about a farm and a song about a dog with a gradually disappearing name…
“Daddy? I couldn’t find any ‘triple a’ batteries… only ‘three a’ ones.”
– Emily, after being sent for some batteries for her camera, who then immediately received a short lesson on what ‘single’, ‘double’, and ‘triple’ mean.
“Do you think I should take a nap?”
– Daddy, to Amanda
“No, because you need to get your hair cut.”
– Amanda
“Oh, really? I do? Are you sure?”
– Daddy (whose hair hasn’t been longer than 2 or 3 inches since High School)
“Yes! Soon you’re gonna look like a girl!”
– Amanda
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