I/we have an extraordinary friend here in California named Cindy. I'm quite sure she is an angel of God sent to make my life easier and brighter! I wish I had a picture of her because she radiates joy. I absolutely adore her, and she seems to have her radar set on blessing my life! We don't do school on birthdays, and since Geoff is out-of-town I was looking for somewhere to go so Tennie could have a special day. I called Cindy and asked if we could come hang out with her and her daughter, Kylie (who is 14, and a great friend/role model for the girls) and she immediately loved the idea.
We arrived late morning and Tennie was blind-folded and taken over to a table to see her present from Cindy and Kylie...
A full dollhouse! Tennie had mentioned how much she wanted a doll house about a month ago and so these thoughtful friends picked one out just for her. Tennie will remember their kindness forever.Kylie and the girls dressed up in Kylie's fancy robes and gowns before we had lunch.
Cindy made a delicious home-made spaghetti sauce with salad, and some delicious muffins that the girls love. She had decorated her table so nicely, and put so much love into the preparations...all to make Tennie feel like her day was special!
The girls watched a movie before we headed home. Geoff's mom had birthday signs on the door and throughout the house. She sure has a knack for celebrating people too! We ate Tennie's requested Chicken Pot pie for dinner, then she had her birthday treasure hunt. We opened gifts with Geoff on the phone...
He called from Watham Deaconess Hospital where Tennie was born 11 years ago, in Watham, Massachusetts! He was so sad to miss her birthday, so he went to where she began for the phone call.
So Tennie really did have "the best birthday ever". Of course that is what she says every year...
Here is a snapshot of Tennie at 11:
Tennie is full of enthusiasm and energy. She literally bounds through the house, and life, with an optimistic outlook. She often says, "I love me." When we talk about people who may not like things about themselves she always says, "I love everything about me."
She has bursting affection, and her big hugs are well-known among anyone who interacts with her. She doesn't hold them back, but shares her affection freely. She loves all people, and expresses that love openly. She is loved by girl-friends and boy-friends alike. She gets along with everyone. She has an ability to talk to people of all ages, and connect with them. She jokes with them, and plays off of their comments. She leaves us notes on our pillows expressing love and gratitude. She expresses gratitude to me daily for "everything you do".
She adores Geoff most of all. No person could be more adoring, devoted and borderline worshipful as Tennie is to Geoff. He can do no wrong in Tennie's eyes, and she does everything she can to learn from him, and please him. They have a special, effortless connection.
She has her whole life planned out. When she is in high school she wants to be a pop singer, then she wants to go to BYU followed by a masters in creative writing at Stanford. She wants to be a mom of 10 boys, "one of those moms who never gets mad, who loves animals and has a lot of them, and who is really hyper and fun". She'll write children's chapter books while raising those 10 boys, then after her kids go to college she wants to be President of the United States. No buts about it.
Tennie loves theater. She is often singing at the top of her lungs, and as beautiful as it is we are often asking her if she can use her "inside singing voice", or if she can go in a room and close the door, or maybe go outside. She has a strong, loud voice! This love of drama is tied to how she bounds through the house. Arms are often moving, and she is often skipping/dancing as she goes.
Tennie has a magnetic memory. She especially remembers things she reads. While she often doesn't remember to capitalize her own name, she remembers characters in books, plots, and facts in the story. It is a great form of learning for her. She loves words, and playing with them as she writes. She's gifted with languages, continually improving her French, and picking up more and more Latin.
She is showing a lot more self-discipline. We often don't feel well when we eat gluten or sugar or dairy. She has decided on her own to not eat anything with sugar or wheat in it. Nothing. She checks the labels. She is hoping that with complete abstinence she'll be able to eat these things again with fewer negative effects. Her self-discipline shows up in school too. She does 95% of her schooling independently. She wakes up and gets to her math, which gets more difficult for her later in the day.
As Tennie matures she seems to be more aware of her surroundings. She isn't leaving her clothes on the floor anymore (hallelujah!), and generally is more responsible. She is starting to take a little bit longer on her hair before we leave the house. She wants to dress in complete privacy (which her sisters thinks is ridiculous!) She gets embarrassed when we talk about kissing, even when it has nothing to do with her. She still plays with toys, but doesn't always seem to fit in as well when her sisters are playing. Lately there has been more of a disconnect between Tennie and Adele/Ceci. She is growing up, and they don't seem to like it. They feel, subconsciously, left behind, ditched. They're critical of her moods. Tennie often comes back with kindness (and often not) and seems to have more control over her reactions...at least a growing control.
She is helpful, cheerful (mostly), imaginative, creative, and full of curiosity. She is good. She really tries to make good choices. She is trustworthy, and we are giving her more freedom. Overall, she is a fabulous human being, and she continues to be a great example to all of us. We count our lucky stars that 11 years ago she changed our lives for the better.
We love you, Eleveny!
