A Teen in Station, If Not in Numbers

Although her official number is still just shy, Malia has entered the realm of teenagers. For her twelfth birthday party with her friends, all she wanted was pizza, ice cream sandwiches, and a movie. So that is exactly what we did. It was super easy for me although it was also a tiny bit bittersweet because my years of planning fun birthday parties for the kids is officially over. We had some fantastic parties and each of my kids has their favorites, so all those years of planning and preparing and sometimes stressing were not in vain. The food/movie/hang out combo is definitely easier though!

Malia did let me make a cute cake when we celebrated her party at my folks’ house. Her favorite cake combo is vanilla cake with raspberry filling and raspberry buttercream, a combination I quite like as well. Since she didn’t really care what it looked like and was not opposed to me making it pretty, I found a simple idea online and dolled up the cake just a bit. Having cake also meant that we could add candles and sing and all that, a part of the birthday experience she eschewed at her friend party.

Last Friday, her cousin Kate came to sleep over and celebrate Malia’s birthday once again. The One Republic concert and subsequent sleepover were right around the time of Malia’s birthday last year, and with this second late August birthday sleepover, the girls have decided it should be a tradition. The entertainment portion of the weekend was not as exciting as last year’s concert, but it was still super fun for Malia and Kate. They went to one of those paint studios where you select a painting, and the studio staff walks you through how to paint it. With Malia’s love of art, it was an activity right up her alley. They had a good time and I think both of them did a great job. Definitely better than I could do, that’s for sure! After their paint session, the birthday treat of choice was raspberry lemon cheesecake. Yum! Due to Malia’s peanut allergy, the only cheesecake she has been able to safely eat is the homemade kind, so she was super excited to be able to indulge just a bit. And honestly, I was not at all heartbroken about needing to bake a cheesecake. 😉

Today was Malia’s real birthday as well as her first official day of school as a seventh grader. Learning to navigate the halls at school was not a particularly fabulous way to celebrate her birthday, but while she was at school, I got busy and made her a super special birthday treat. Her favorite candy is Rolos, so I whipped up some Rolo cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes topped with caramel frosting with several Rolos baked in the center of each cupcake. The fam assured me they were delicious as I skipped out due to the chocolate. Kevin picked up some highly entertaining balloons and the young women in our ward heart attacked our front door in Malia’s honor. Though school was a bit overwhelming, Malia enjoyed her treat and while school is still a stressor, at least she has the first day under her belt and has a better idea of what to expect tomorrow.

Her gift from Kevin and I was a boatload of art supplies-acrylic paints, paint brushes, art paper, fancy erasers, and a table easel. She doesn’t have her art class until next semester, but when she gets that far she will have all the supplies she needs to explore her craft here at home. Kevin’s mom took her shopping last week and Malia picked out some new T-shirts that perfectly match her personality. Kate gave her some pastels and she got her traditional $12 for a twelfth birthday from my mom. I guess everyone knows her pretty well because everything she received was just right.

Having a highly stressful first day of school fall on your birthday is not exactly the best way to celebrate your big day, but overall, I think Malia had a pretty good birthday. If nothing else, she had some tasty treats to fill out her stress eating menu over the past several weeks. Oh, and make sure to note the lettering on her T-shirt. I think it is highly appropriate for a middle school girl. 😂

A Music Themed Birthday

Matthew’s birthday was last week Saturday. He has been looking forward to twelve, but most of the stuff he was really looking forward to occurred last month due to the church’s change in advancement policies. Nevertheless, twelve is still a pretty big birthday. For this birthday, Kevin’s parents jumped on the experience gift bandwagon. They took him to an archery range and let him shoot a bunch of arrows. Matthew had a great time and was so proud of his bullseye!

Present giving happened post archery. The big-ticket item was a brand-new trumpet. He decided he wanted to play trumpet about five years ago and his interest in playing has not waned in that time. Due to his numerous allergies, playing a used instrument is a source of stress for him so for that reason (and a few others), we opted for a new one. We had always planned to get him one in time for seventh grade band but pushed up our timeline a little bit. He was thrilled…and so grateful. That is one of the many wonderful things about Matthew. He is always so thankful for everything that it is easy to do things for him. I think people are more willing to go out of their way for someone who they know will appreciate it and Matthew always does. He never takes those things for granted.

Daniel and Nathan both opted to go with the big gift theme and got him presents to go with his trumpet. Nathan gave him the beginning band book our middle school uses and Daniel asked around and gave him the contact info for a fellow high school student who teaches trumpet lessons. By the end of the day, Matthew had used the fingering chart in the back of the book and could play a scale. Daniel told us that it took some kids all of the first semester of beginning band to get that far. Not bad at all for a beginner! (Malia broke the trend and gave Matthew a wireless mouse to use with the laptop. Matthew hates the track pad.)

Yesterday was Matthew’s birthday celebration at my parents’ house. We sang and ate cake. Nothing too crazy there. It seems the older the kids get, the calmer the birthdays become. Matthew didn’t even have a party with friends this year. All he wants to do is have a big cousins’ day at the temple followed by lunch. Due to all the crazy schedules, we don’t have that on the calendar yet, but we’ll get there. I think it’s amazing that a temple trip is really, honestly what he wants. This kid definitely has his priorities in the right place.

I’m so glad Matthew is in our family. By the time he came along, Kevin and I had gotten very serious. The pressures of life and parenting can do that to you. When Matthew joined our family, he taught us to laugh again. Whenever I need a good chuckle, all I need to do is read the blog book from his toddler days. There were many times when I would play the stern mama, doling out the punishments and life lessons, and then go into another room and laugh. Even now, remembering all his antics can cheer me up like nothing else can. I get a bit nostalgic remembering his Ironman phase, when he wore his costume every day for two years and rode his bike around the neighborhood pretending to be the “man in a can.” Ironman is my favorite Avenger and I’m pretty sure it isn’t just because of his cool suit. The Lightning McQueen phase was fun too. Occasionally I will still find one of the tiny cars hidden somewhere in the house. It’s great having a blue-blooded BYU fan in the house. Kevin loves having someone who will watch football with him. Our home would definitely not be the same without Matthew in it.