This Is Eight

This is what an 8-year-old looks like.

Adorable puppy dog bouquet from the Floria grandparents.

 This is what an 8-year-old does when she plays with her friends.

Captain(s) Underpants to the rescue!

This is the kind of cake an 8-year-old asks for when she can have any cake in the world. (Well, almost.)

A blue dress, not pink, because I was informed she is NOT a little girl.

We have two girls who remind us frequently what the other one got or didn't get at a certain age. Several months ago Lindsey got mad when she thought that Marissa was having a slumber party for her 7th birthday party. We had to remind her that her little sister was turning 8, the same age Lindsey was when she had her first slumber party. God forbid the little sister should get something before the big sister does...sheesh.

For many of Marissa's friends, this was their first ever sleepover. Some parents were as nervous as the kids at drop-off; would their kid get homesick? Would they be okay sleeping in someone else's house?  We've learned that kids adapt quickly, especially when plied with late-night movies and popcorn.

We had one incident in which one of our guests fell against Marissa's dresser hard enough to create a gash and bleed as head wounds tend to, which is to say profusely. While the bleeding stopped quickly, we still called her mom who came over for a little extra reassurance and TLC. Marissa's friend decided that she felt okay enough to stay, and enjoyed the rest of the evening after icing it and having some Tylenol.

The morning brought a breakfast of frozen waffles (Marissa's choice), bacon, orange juice and/or cereal as desired. 

Lest we forget, this summer birthday was unusually cold. It was only a high of 64 during the day, 54 degrees at night. Guests brought slippers and robes just in case, and ended up using them because there was such a chill in the air. Despite the unseasonably cool temperatures, the swing in the backyard was a huge hit with everyone, who loved being pushed or pushing others around in a big circle.

And...you know you have good friends when they arrive for kid pick-up the next day with two coffees for you and your husband...just because that's how sleepovers tend to go.

As for me, it's hard to grasp how quickly these years are going by. It seems like each milestone Lindsey passes Marissa passes the next day. 

After the guests had gone home, Marissa pulled out the new Barbie dolls she had received and made pretend. She made up conversations, changed their clothes and danced around to music. It was unself-unconscious, sweet and childish. Just a reminder of what it means to be 8.