What's pink, green, and purple all over?

November 28, 2013

Thank you for your condolences on my grandfather's death.

Brienne's birthday was last weekend. The actual day was Monday, which we celebrated doing family stuff but Sunday we had a small party with a couple of Brienne's friends. 

Brienne is now eleven and I don't have much to compare her to, nor do I wish to compare her, but Brienne is still young for her age. (Or maybe a lot of other girls her age are more mature for their age. There is no right or wrong in this.) 

Her closest girlfriends are younger and this is comfortable for her. Interesting how Celine's closest friends are older than her, and Laurent, well, he hasn't yet found any boy bosom buddies since moving. He gets along really well with people of all ages, boys or girls.

Brienne's birthday party was all girl, just like her. It was pink and purple, just like her. 

Brienne is an expressive person. You never have to guess what she feels about something.

She likes things in quantity. She likes bling. She likes pink.

And it is so much fun to see who she is in what she creates. Like this skirt.

Yes, she made it. She designed it, we funded it (homeschool supplies), she did almost all the sewing except for the last part of the project which I completely Friday afternoon in-between packing food for the weekend's taekwondo competition. 

Her goal was to have it done for her birthday party, and with a little help from mom she managed to complete it on time. 

I used to feel ever-so-slightly bad that I didn't sew clothing for my kids. I say ever-so-slightly because really, I have no interest in sewing clothing but you know there are some mothers who do and I look at the beautiful things they make and think, "I could do that. I should do that." For about 2 seconds. 

I've come to realize, like I have with many mothering things - if my kids want that, they can learn how to do it themselves. I'm good at some things, and I'm able to stretch myself in a few other areas to create a good foundation for my kids (and some happy childhood memories), and the rest of it - I don't do.

Sewing clothes for my kids is one of those things I don't do but Brienne has taken it upon herself to learn to sew, in a style I would call "sew big or go home". Which is her, exactly.

Speaking of sewing, Celine made the most adorable dress for Brienne's doll. Her most well made piece to-date, which only makes sense. Her skill gets better and better with practice.

The birthday party was sweet but the sweetest part, in my opinion, was not the cupcakes and strawberries but teaching Brienne's friends to knit. 

After crafts were made, board games played, presents opened, and cupcakes eaten, the girls all went up to Brienne's loft bedroom, shared with Celine, to play Barbies. (This is one thing Brienne especially misses now that her sister is a young adult. She misses having a girl "to play" with.)

Brienne's knitting project was lying on her bed (she's knitting a skirt for her doll) and Brienne's friends marveled that she could do this. It's a simple garter stitch (every row is knit) in a rectangle shape. When they found out Brienne knew how to knit they immediately asked, "could you teach us!?"

Be still my crafty-mama heart, that's what we did for the rest of the party. We didn't have any extra knitting needles so we raided Celine's recent gift package from Japan (thank you Kimberly!) for some chopsticks. And for the next forty-five minutes, till the parents arrived, Brienne and I taught her friends how to knit. 

We sent the girls home with wonky stitches knit together on chopsticks. I forgot that kid birthdays have party favors, the gracious guests didn't mention it, but at least they got little balls of yarn and some knitting out of the deal! 

And I promised that this week I would buy the girls real knitting needles and move their work onto it at taekwondo tonight. (These sweet girls are all in class together, partnering up and sparring with each other on a bi-weekly basis.)

On Monday, Brienne's actual birthday, she opened her presents from us. Damien and I gave her a gift certificate for a clothing store in town. In the afternoon Damien and Brienne went shopping together, he has much more patience for the process than I do, and Brienne bought her first pair of skinny jeans and a rhinestone buckled belt. 

Little girls grow up fast. It seems like one day it's pink ruffled skirts and then next it's black skinny jeans. 

Happy Birthday sweetheart. I love your fashion. I love you. 

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