May 28, 2010
This second ever edition of Friday's Flowers is dedicated to Celine.
We are leaving to go backpacking today so I didn't pick any fresh flowers this week to molder on the kitchen table while we are gone. The bouquet photos in this post are from last weekend's celebration of Celine's eleventh birthday.

Celine is a flower girl through and through. And I don't mean the wedding attendant kind, though she did that once also. Celine is a gardener and lover of all things growing and beautiful, just like her mama. She can identify more plants than most adults I know and takes great pride her own little garden.

Her chosen birthday activity was to visit a nearby non-profit public garden earlier this month with a friend. We toured the gardens (in the rain), drank tea, ate treats, bought plants, talked blooms and otherwise ohhed and ahhed at the early May beauty.


Then last Saturday we celebrated her actual birth-day. A day of flowers and food. Birthdays are special days in our home and the birthday child has the privilege of choosing the menu. Whipped cream usually features prominantly on birthday menus.
Celine's day started with our traditional gluten-free (for Daddy's sake) belgium breakfast waffles topped with, you guessed it, whipped cream. And on it went. A day in the kitchen for me and feasting for the family.

This year I baked the best birthday cake I've ever made. Very non-vegan, very "glutenous", very birthday. Perfect as far as Celine was concerned which is all that mattered. An orange chiffon cake topped with fresh voilas and from our yard.

Although gifts are not the focus of our birthday celebrations Celine's were very fitting for the flower and garden girl that she is. A made in Maine (she is proud of that fact) wooden trellis for her garden from her parents and a hand spade from her brother and sister. Nana and Papa sent a new etsy outfit for her American Girl doll (last year's all-in-one gift) and earring making supplies. And this week her other gift from us, Make Your Own Old Fashioned Cloth Doll and her Wardrobe, finally arrived.
Celine is all set to plant, grow and create. Gifts to encourage her green thumb and her doll making passion. A day to celebrate her interests and honor who she is. And I'll be the first to tell you, she's the best.

I love you Celine.
~~~
Thanks for reading a mother's journaling in honor of her beautiful (better than any flower growing in my garden) daughter.
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