“Have you written my birthday blog yet, Mom?”
I love the accountability that older kids give me. Our tradition of presents in the morning followed by cinnamon rolls at breakfast now also includes reading a birthday tribute by noon, evidently. Hustle up, Mom!
Amelia Jane turns 11, but when I think about her, I always lump her in with the “big girls.” Even as a baby, she was never just the baby. She was a part of the pack from the time she arrived. Anna and Josie adored this little fuzzy headed baby with wide eyes, and she fell in line with the girls, always doing her best to keep up. Some of my clearest memories of those foggy 3 kids under 4 and then 4 kids under 6 raising days are of Amelia running through the grass to keep up with her sisters in the backyard.
I have to remind myself that she is one of the “younger ones” from time-to-time. Her mature personality and her wordly experiences thanks to the aforementioned older sisters make her seem older. Add to that some old lady tendencies: fancy pens, personalized stationary and books topped her birthday list. Don’t worry, she also got a trampoline, so add in a broken bone or a head injury, right? That brings her back to being a kid!
Amelia is one of those kids that always has a story to tell, a comment to make or a project to complete. I don’t know if it’s because she’s in the middle or because of her personality, but I never have to worry about entertaining her. She is generally entertaining us. That has been since the beginning. At her two year old photo shoot, she told the photographer to “maybe call her milliejane.com/cupcake instead of just Amelia.” Then there was the time when she was three and wanted a puppy. She advised us to “get more information at puppy.com.” See? Wordly and funny!
Saving her money for her own laptop, she has put it to good use. Amelia is constantly putting together short PowerPoint presentations to make her case to redecorate her room, start a business or even just go somewhere fun.
We’re getting to the point of our parenting journey that feels like every birthday is a milestone. This turning eleven business feels a bit like a turning point. Junior high is upon us. Crossing over into the dark side of girl drama, bigger responsibility and a (gasp) locker combination always makes me a little nervous. However, I don’t feel like our Little Miss Sunshine will dim. Amelia has weathered being the youngest, the middle, the helper with constant cheer, seeing the world through the wide eyes and happy smile she has had since she was teeny-tiny. I wish the world had a bit more of that in it once in awhile.
Amelia, we love you…even when your stories are long and your emotions are high. We appreciate the sunshine and rainbows you bring to the dinner table. Your helper spirit and understanding of people’s feelings will serve you well as you move through your next phase.
However, always remember to be an includer. You know how it feels to be the little one. The middle child. The kid who is too little to do this, but too big to do that. You know how it feels to have to figure out where you belong, so be an includer. Always.
Sweet girl, keep seeing the world through wide, cheery eyes. Keep being a helper. Keep that silly disposition, even when the world feels strange. We know you’re going to do big things with your big personality, and we can’t wait to watch that unfold.
Happiest of birthdays to you, my dearest doll.
Love,
Mom
