Happy 8th Birthday, June!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUNE!!!!! 

 Today you are EIGHT years young! 
June, for the most part I've been excited about you growing up. Not that I'm in a hurry, but it's been so fascinating to get to know you more and more. To build and deepen a relationship with you as the days go by. Right now you are still so much a kid. You need cuddles, your stuffed horse named "Pirate Ship," imagination, art projects, a bed time story, and if your friends aren't around, you'll still hold my hand.

But yet you are dealing with difficult and complex emotions and able to talk about them. Feeling behind others in math, being left out with friends, feeling intense frustration at your parents or siblings. How is it even possible that you've already started to worry about what you look like? Or boys? (well, to be fair, you've been boy crazy your whole life.) Your sense of humor has matured and you use it to make friends.

You truly are a goof ball, and you genuinely make me laugh, not annoyed. You are so good at being a big sister to all the kids, not just your own siblings. You write me kind notes and a lot of the time you are kind and want to help me out. You've said some really mature things too when working through your emotions.

And I continue to feel the profound truth that you are not my child that I am to shape into who I want you to be. But rather, I was merely a vessel to bring you here and your spirit is full to the brim of who you are already. I simply get to help you grow in the right directions and together we teach lessons to one another. 

But heaven forbid I suggest you use a recipe or follow any rules. You are determined to blaze your own new trails despite the well worn and wise maps already given to you by those who have gone before. We'll see how that all works out for you.... ;) But in the least, I expect you to make your own cook book one day.

You're very into "cool" things right now, and the color black is one of those. You love to write poems but you also like to rap. You're not very into princess things unless it's Mulan, Pocahontas,  or Merida because "they are strong and cool." But over all you find the villains to be more interesting. You are into fashion designing and cooking as well. You also have been doing awesome things with singing and theater classes this past year!

This next year of your life should be pretty jam packed with new experiences, new friends, actually doing homework, lots of dancing, new relationships, some trips, cat cuddles, huge kitchen messes, tears, learning to finally do a cartwheel, and lots of bed time stories. I'm feeling pretty excited to continue on in this journey together! Messes and all.

We love you and your liberal mind, your love and sensitivity towards others, your artistic and poetic soul, your stubbornness against social norms, your desire to help others and to give, and your weirdness and ability to laugh and make others laugh. Every year your birthday is pretty monumental for me too. Eight years now a mother, and hey- we're still both alive! So many things to celebrate today. 

WE LOVE YOU!

For fun, here's one of June's poems that I have saved on my phone:

If I could fly like a bird how far would I go?

Run in the wind with me. 

How far would I go in the snow?

As far as I can and a bird's love- 

that's how far I will go.

 This past year, June has:

Gone on an upside down roller coaster

Gained a baby brother

Taken a ride on a ski lift

Caught a fish with her bare hands

Gone to a wild flower festival

Learned to take care of kittens

Completed the second grade

Learned to flip on the trampoline

Learned to ride a bike without training wheels

Gone to see several plays

Fed a giraffe

Seen the Grand Canyon

Went to a new state: Arizona

Took a cooking class

And a musical Theater class

And choir

And piano!

Held a snake

Learned to make french toast

Went camping

Held some butterflies

Tried eating a quail egg

Went to the ice castles

Dyed her hair pink

Performed in a couple plays

And had her own solo

Lost several baby teeth

Held a baby duck

Went to her first concert

Went boating

Explored a slot canyon

Washed a fire truck

and

Pet a skunk

And lastly, the annual birthday interview:

What's your favorite color? Black, violet, rose gold, all the colors.

Your favorite toy? Anything? I don't know. I sometimes play with baby toys! 

Favorite TV show? Captain underpants, and Brain Child, and Story Bots, and Nailed it and Sugar Rush. And Jesus videos.

Favorite snack? Mochi Balls. And cheese ham sandwiches

Favorite book? The Wangdoodle. Did I say that right?

Special things you like to take to bed? I try to take the kitten in bed. I like my special blankie that grandma made me and Pirate Ship and Sass.

What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Donuts. Like I had for breakfast this morning!

What about for dinner? Asparagus with chicken and chicken nuggets. (you never eat chicken nuggets!) Well now I will!

What is something mommy always says to you?This is true- "I love you!" RHYME. Bibbidibobbity boo- I love you!

What makes you happy? When the kitten is [purring] really loudly on me.

What makes you sad? When I fall down and scrape my knees.

What makes you laugh? When Ginny and Hazel and all my family make crazy voices!

What is your favorite thing to do?  Be with the cats and kitten.
(Hazel is crying in the background)

Who is your best friend? Quinn, Emerson, Tatum, Emery, Ada, I can't name all of them! Okay I have about 120.
(
Crying Hazel enters in the room, sobbing)

What do you want to be when you grow up? A mom. And the first woman to land on Pluto. 

What are you really good at? Making people laugh, of course. Making my circus. And I'm really good at cuddling. And also I'm really good at singing. And I'm really good at dancing and ballet. And I'm really good at rock and roll!

What am I (mom) good at?  At taking care of us.

  
What is daddy good at? Doing Zelda.

What is Hazel good at? Doing the ducky face. 

What is Rosie good at? Crying

What's Johnny good at? Laughing and crawling. 

What are you not very good at? Being a biologist. Whatever a biologist is. What is a biologist?

What is your favorite song? Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Lost Boys like Me. Kitty Kitty meow meow, Goo goo gaga. What? These are true songs! Who Let the Dogs Out, Jo Jo Siwa songs, Taylor Swift songs. That's all!

What do you want for your birthday this year? A hover board.

What is your favorite animal? Cats, kittens, all sorts of animals. All types of cats, all types of dogs. All types of reptiles. I'm a reptile girl! 

What does daddy do for work? (Hazel whispers the answer) Meetings. Thanks Hazel!

Where is your favorite place to go?  Olive Garden. And McDonald's. Our house. The kitty cats house... what, her house is in the sun room! I like to go to Quinn's house, my friends house, my cousins house. Technically everywhere. But not Chick Fil A.

What do you complain about a lot?  That I don't get my own phone.

What musical instrument do you want to learn to play? I'm learning to play the piano. I want to learn to play... nothing else! (are you scared if you say anything I'll make you take lessons for it?) YES!

What scares you? That one day I don't get married... Just kidding! That one day the kitten dies. And also that our house gets on fire. Or someone freezes our house, which isn't true... but maybe it is....

What would your three wishes be? First, to get more wishes! Second, I want three more genies, Third, I want a thousand dollar bill.

What seems dangerous to you? Walking off a dead end cliff. And falling into an ocean filled with poisonous lemon sharks. 

What do you love about yourself? That I can sing beautiful.


Describe an imaginary creature that you wish you could meet: Lightning bolt. It's an owl with a lot of lightening bolts on it and polka dots.


What do you work hard at? A lot of puzzles. One time I did a puzzle with 500 pieces.

What secret are you keeping to yourself? Not telling!

What's your favorite holiday? The 4th of July because it's close to my birthday!

What was the last time you were on an airplane? When was I...? Italy!

Any last words? All I can say is Good Bye! Bonjour! (repeated three times.)
*Then Rose attacks her.

  

Happy Birthday June Bug!