Fabulous 4

Happy Birthday, Adyson Joyce

In the blink of an eye, we have a four-year-old!  I am so proud of the little person Adyson is becoming.  She is full of ideas and insights, she has an amazing sense of humor, she cares deeply about her baby sister, and she is brave and curious in the face of new experiences.  Every age has been really fun, but every age has also presented us with new obstacles as parents.  Three was really hard.  They talk about the "terrible twos," but in my experience, two was adorable and delightful, and three was argumentative and manipulative.  Three was an emotional rollercoaster, talking back, name-calling, and pushing the limits of independence.  But three was also really inspiring.  Three was learning all the letters and numbers and pointing them out around town.  Three was doing puzzles independently and learning to love coloring.  Three was writing her own name and signing birthday cards.  Three was practicing math and seeking math problems in real life.  Three was becoming a BIG SISTER and all the responsibility this entails.  Three was learning to play make-believe independently and act out scenarios.  Three was moving from parallel play to collaboration.  Three was growing her vocabulary, making up her own jokes, having insightful conversations, and rationalizing her decisions (to some extent that makes sense to her little brain).  Three was becoming more athletic, riding a scooter, skipping down the street, doing the balance beam, and starting Taekwondo.  And three was becoming her own person and discovering the world.  I'm so proud to be Ady's mom.










Because of the pandemic and the quarantine requirements in the state of New Mexico, we have not been able to see family members for the past 8 months.  But with every change comes opportunity, and a big focus for me this year has been on creating new ways to celebrate and connect.  We were planning to be in Florida over her birthday while I served on the steering committee for a physical therapy conference, so when the conference moved to a virtual format, we decided to take a short road trip to Breckenridge last weekend instead for an early birthday celebration.  (She didn't get to eat her cake on a gondola, as planned, but we were close enough!) Then on her actual birthday we had a fancy tea party-style dinner and arranged a Zoom call with our family so they could all see her face and sing "Happy Birthday."

We have a tradition of fantastic balloons

Fancy tea party

Virtual birthday party with family

I am making an effort to shift my perspective away from loss, suffering, or things that have been taken away by COVID, and instead focus on the mindset of opportunity, creativity, and special experiences.  In the absence of big birthday parties, we have more opportunities for family time.  When my attention is not on cleaning and baking and planning the details, I have the mental energy and patience to connect with my kids.  Never before has Ady had all of her family members singing to her while she blew out her candle!  Never did she get to celebrate her birthday twice.  I would have been presenting at a conference in Florida over her birthday, distracted and busy, so I think I was more present with her while we had our own party at home.  

This was a special birthday for our four-year-old and I look forward to finding new and creative ways to celebrate the holidays and Baby Sister's upcoming birthday in the next few months!  Most of all, I look forward to the new insights and challenges we will experience as parents this year.


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