Sweet Sixteen for Maddy

4.6.17

My sweet girl is sixteen!  On one hand, it seems incomprehensible.  How can she be 16???!!!  Where did the time go?  But on the other hand, it feels like she's only 16?  Of course!  She's so mature and poised and such a foundational presence in the home- of course she's 16.  

She lights up our world and I marvel that God would entrust such a heart to me.  She teaches me so much and makes me want to be a better person.  I'm filled with gratitude for her life and the gift of our friendship.

Unlike Renna's birthday which spanned five weeks, Maddy got all of hers in in four days!  Her big day landed on a Thursday at the climax of Passion craze.  She had prepared herself for a regular day and set her sights on her big bash on Saturday.  We still managed to squeeze in some special through the day anyway.  C4 sacrificially skipped his first two classes and took her out to breakfast.  They didn't send any pictures, but it meant the world to her and certainly warms my heart!

 Colombo and I took her to her choice for lunch- Moe's, just the three of us.

 I was teary through parts, but for the most part held it together.

Two days later- on Saturday- we threw her party.  She planned what she wanted and she, Andrea, and I planned and executed jointly.  It was a stretch for me to pull it off given it was sandwiched between Passion performances, and though I would have LOVED to really run with her Great Gatsby theme, my limited time (and budget) forced us to rein it in, keeping it classy and elegant with just a few fun touches.  I seriously could have gone nuts with this and had some real fun!

Ninny and Papa graciously allowed us to use their third floor for the party.  Most of the girls had never been in a house that big- not that house size means anything, but it definitely added to the fancy, fun, and mystique she was going for with Great Gatsby.  I was also pleasantly surprised how all 16 girls embraced it and dressed to the nines- headpieces, heels, and boas.

My only regret was not somehow kidnapping / blackmailing / coercing Lisa into coming to photograph the evening.  I know if she could've, she would've.  All sorts of gratitude for Andrea's help and for her general cheerleading of all-things-Maddy.

 Maddy made the place cards.

 My boys dug up the bowties and served for me.  Daddy helped my with the food.  The little boys (plus Renna) carried guests' sleepover gear as they arrived and then made countless trips up and down the stairs to refill drinks and serve appetizers on plates.  (You'll see Trevor in action on one of the videos.)

Of course within a half hour, Maddy on her own started an icebreaker in order to bridge the gaps between dance, church, and East Catholic friends.

 All the phones at all their places.

 A friend DJ'd for us for the first two hours, 7-9.

Video 1 dance party.

Video 2 dance party.

Soon after, the girls traded their sequins for sweats and they did gifts, chatted, and giggled into the wee hours.  Even downstairs, every once in a while I'd hear a burst of laughter or squealing.

The next morning the girls leisurely woke up after a very late night.  We enjoyed fresh fruit and cinnamon rolls together before they cleared out.  I laughed at the aftermath upstairs.  Balloons on the floor, high heels tossed about, broken cups, and so.many.feathers!

She has an incredible group of friends and despite only sleeping from 3-7am, it was a COMPLETE privilege to honor her in this way and to give her memories of this milestone.  I think we achieved what she wanted.

The next night we went to Outback and both the girls got their birthday books!

Happy Sweet 16 to our beloved Maddy-Girl. Can't imagine life without our Jesus-lovin', hard-workin', always-helpin', drama-dodgin', peace-makin', baby-hoggin', never-stops-dancin', with wisdom beyond her years, talented, smart, sweet, kind, night owl of a gem. Out of all my undeserved treasures in life, she's one of my very favorite.

An excerpt from her birthday book:

What makes you happy?

When the whole family's together.

Are you scared of anything?    Failure.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A dancer and a choreographer.

Who's the last person you kissed?     Rocco.

What does Dad do at work all day?

[shoulder shrug] He's an I.T. guy, I think.

What is something you dislike about yourself?

That I'm not super flexible at the moment and that I over-think stuff.

What's the last thing you were sad about?

I got a 90 on an English assignment.

What is something you do well?    Dancing.

What makes you feel sad?

When someone's better than me at something.

What is the best advice you've ever received?

Your best is good enough.

What is you favorite day of the week?

Friday.  Or Wednesdays for acro.

What makes a happy family?    Happy parents.

What makes a good friend?

Someone who is trustworthy and loyal.

If you could be anyone in history, who would you be?

The Virgin Mary.

What makes you laugh?    Juliet.

Which room is your favorite?    My room.

What are your nicknames?

Mad Dog, Maddy, Mama, Madster

What do you like to do?

Dance, rehearsal at church, shopping, hanging with friends, taking extra dance classes.

What's your favorite...

ice cream?  Chocolate with peanut butter sauce

thing to eat?  Moe's or chicken parm

thing to drink?  Iced tea or Coke

candy?  Pretzel M&M's  ~  show?  Friends

color?  Mint and gray  ~  snack?  Hummus and smoothies

What's your favorite memory from the past year?

Nationals.  Running through puddles with the girls while the boys held our shoes and getting 5th place.

What are your hope and plans for the upcoming year?

Be in another music video or commercial and try a new brand of dance convention or workshop.

Who are your best friends?

Kelly, Kayla, and my Lights Up gang.

If I were 5 I would...

...tell my mom to get my dance career moving.

If I were 40 I would...

...have four kids and be doing a lot of choreography on So You Think You Can Dance.

I'm happiest when...

...all our family is together OR it's just me and C4.

Renna Turns Five

She's a whole hand now- FIVE years old.  We love our girl so much and can't imagine life without her.  She is funny, strong, determined, helpful, precocious, stubborn, considerate, witty, active.  Some days she acts very much her age and sometimes it feels more like she's all grown up!  She's ridiculously out-going and friendly to everyone (and every dog) she crosses paths with.  Sometimes I get frustrated that she is so strong-willed, but I know that trait will serve her well in life.  She is FULL of energy and never slows down or stops.  She is smart and insightful.  She is amazing!  She is a gift.  

3.6.17- Her special day started with pancakes by request.

Andrea picked Renna up for a couples hours in the morning and she and Sienna made sure the birthday girl had fun!

Once back home, she got to open all her mail.

We spent an hour at one of her Top 3 favorite places on the earth.  Three years in a row now!

Ninny and Papa popped in quickly for a hug and to give her her gift.

Somewhere over the course of the afternoon, she said something like, "I can't wait for my birthday cake!"

Shoot!  I hadn't thought of a cake as her 'party' was going to happen later in the month.  "Renna, how would you like to go to the store and pick out a cake?"  For the win!

For many years, I made elaborately decorated cakes for the kids.  Then they started requesting ice cream cakes that I'd either make or pick up at DQ.  I just simply fell out of the habit of making traditional cakes. I kind of miss it; always tailoring it to their wishes or what they are into at the time.  My SIL, Elizabeth always makes fun ones for her kids.  I shoulda - coulda for Renna this year, but it never crossed my over-forty mind!  Thankfully 5 year olds are easy to please.  She loved picking it out, watching the lady write her name, and I must say, BJ's cakes are quite yummy!

A few days later, Gramma and Bobbi took her for a special morning at the Lutz Museum and even let her pick out a fun new toy.

Presents trickled in over a few weeks time, which delighted her to no end.

She got a new book from Lil and $5 cash.  She was so excited about the money.  A couple days later she paid $2 for something using her $5 bill and was elated to get 3 single $1 bills back.  Three is better than one!  You would've thought she won the lotto!

Then Meg gave her the sequel to the book set.  So Renna began asking DAILY, "Am I gonna have anudder present to open today?"

FINALLY, on March 31st, we scooped up her friends and celebrated her 'party'.  We went to see Boss Baby.  It was dumb and slightly inappropriate, but she'd been counting down the days for over a month!

Five weeks after her birthday, we finally went to Outback and did birthday books for her and Maddy. She squealed in delight when she saw the bag, "I hope it's my bir-day book!!!"  She'd been asking about it for five weeks!!!

Happy 5th birthday to our little pancake-lovin', dog-obsessin', senior citizen-greetin', tap-and-acro-dancin', movie-watchin', two-wheelin', "just only da girls"-trippin', dare-devilin', never-stops-movin' cherry on top! Renna is a firecracker gift to us all. She's a sweet and spicy mix of unpredictable and keeps us laughing with nearly everything that comes out of her mouth! NOTHING stops that girl!

An excerpt from her birthday book:
What makes you happy?
Watching movies and playing with Sienna.

Who's the last person you kissed?
Mama. (Maddy)

What's the last thing you were sad about?
Getting my Play Doh mixed up.

What is something you do well?
Making my Play Doh pizza.

What is something that really bugs you?
Da boys.  That they're awake.

What makes you feel sad?
Going at church.

What makes you laugh?
Jokes.

What do you like to do?
Playing with my toys and swinging on the playscape.

Are you scared of anything?
Monkeys??  Yeah, monkeys.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A vet and a tapper.

What does Daddy do at work all day?
On his computer.

What is your favorite toy to play with?
My laptop that is a toy that sings songs.

Who is your best friend?
Sienna DiSalvatore

What's your favorite...
snack?  plobbly yogurts  ~  ice cream?  cherry twist
movie or show?  Rescue Bots
color?  pink, light blue, and purple
song?  Old McDonald Had a Farm
drink?  orange soda  ~  food?  Old McDonald's
candy?  Skittles

(every answer started with "plobbly"...)