A Love Story

Where do I begin, to tell the story of how great a love can be?

Last weekend was Claire's fourth birthday and we did the whole hoopla birthday party, blow out candles, open presents thing. But all that is really secondary to the story I want to share. A love story.

The day before Claire's birthday, while I was grocery shopping for the upcoming party when Claire asked me, as she usually does, for one of those foil balloons they have stationed all over the blasted grocery store. Well, for the first time in her life, after hundreds of times asking, my answer was yes. I even let her pick it out. The lucky balloon that caught her eye was a shiny Dora balloon. It was love at first sight. She held that balloon with her the rest of the day, asked to sleep with it that night, and it was still glued to her hip the next day. She danced with it, talked to it, hit it repeatedly, just like any healthy relationship. When all the kids came for the birthday party, someone (he will remain nameless for his own protection) let her take the balloon, aka, the love of her life, outside with her without tying it to her wrist. Well, obviously you know what happened next. At some point Dora makes a rather sudden and quick getaway, leaving Claire abandoned, heartbroken, devastated. I was inside and I could hear her gut-wrenching cries. Being a hundred percent honest here, I have never seen or heard her so sad in my life. She could not be consoled. She asked her daddy, through her sobs and tears, "Please, dad, can I grow wings so I can fly up and get my balloon?" Heart-wrentching. I know.

Well, most other parents would have used this as a good teaching tool about cause and effect, choices and consequences. But being the pushovers that Cody and I are, we immediately sent Cody off to the store to purchase another balloon, pronto. I will not have my little girl jilted in love at such a young age. My Little Pony and Cinderella quickly filled the void in Claire heart that stormy Dora had left in her wake.

I know. We are pushovers. But it was her birthday. Okay, no more excuses. What is done is done.

So to make a short story as long as it possible could be (too late), here is the rest of b-day party in pics.

For an activity, we had all the kids decorate their own crown or pirate hat. As you can see, Claire liked hers simple, with the ever cool, "FO?" slogan on it. However, I made one for Claire, too, because who knew foamies were so much fun? I did get a little carried away, but I was in foamie heaven.

We sang happy birthday and blew out the candles. Can I spend a minute lamenting on the cake? Of course I can. All year long I look forward to decorating Claire's birthday cake, doing something special, trying something new. But this year, I got sick the week before her birthday, and when it came down to it, I just didn't have time. Big bummer. (You can see Claire's decorating job, her finger marks in the frosting. That little stinker.)

Claire loved all her presents. The Tinker Bell wings were a big hit, though she loved each and every gift and played with them all later that day, and the next, and the next.

Words cannot describe how much I love and enjoy Claire. She is so loving, so creative, so energetic, so disobedient (this isn't a part of love about her, but I had to throw it in there). She gives the best hugs, she says the funniest things, she sees the world in an amazing way, and she dances to the rhythm of her own steel drum. Happy Birthday to my little girl.