The Banana: Eleven

I’m a bit behind.   A week ago Friday The Banana turned eleven!  For months she had been planning to have her favorite cereal available at the COOP (organic) grocery store along with THE MILK.  THE MILK comes from a local dairy, and it is incredibly fresh and packaged in glass half gallon containers.  Our neighbors up the hill have it delivered each week, and earlier in the summer she tasted THE MILK along with her favorite cereal and found the experience blissful.  THE MILK is delicious.  I really appreciate good milk.  Unfortunately with a lot of kids living in the house, it doesn’t fit well into our budget.  It was a treat.  

Take a look at her face when she saw the enormous pasta bowl of cereal her father poured for himself.  She was planning on leftovers.  

We headed downstairs for a quick present opening session before school. 

Dr. Peds came and got her from school to have a lunchbox lunch at the rocky beach.  It was fun and special.

After school our neighbor halfway down the street was over to play for a bit.  Sadly, she wasn’t able to make it over again later for the cake I was baking at the time, but luckily there were some cake leftovers to share the next day. 

I made this great chalkboard sign to welcome The Banana home from school, and managed to misspell my own daughter’s name.  I have the hardest time writing on a vertical surface.  I always have.  I misspelled all sorts of easy words as a teacher while writing on the chalkboard or white board.

Of course we had to take a picture of the birthday footwear.  She didn’t actually get these shoes for her birthday, but she really likes them. The girl just continues to really, really love shoes.  It just makes me smile.  She always has, even as a wee toddler, barely walking. 

The Banana is missing so many teeth right now I actually have to be kind of careful not to feed her too many crunchy foods.  She lost three teeth and had two or three more pulled at the dentist because the roots just weren’t absorbing and the dentist could see looming problems with adult teeth trying to come through on the X-Ray.  She clearly inherited my orthodontic challenges. Except mine were much worse.

For some reason she thought it would be terrific to take birthday portraits with a garden spade.  I have no idea.  I don’t even pretend to be able to figure out how this unique mind works, but I’m generally entertained each day I spend with her. 

After a delicious birthday supper of dad-cooked orzo and broccoli, it was time for cake.

That red thing is the lid for the class container that held THE MILK, served also at supper. It’s good with pasta too. 

At eleven years, she has just a fraction of an inch to go before she passes up big sister in the height department.  Look at their facial expressions.  I love it.