Happy Ninth Birthday YaYa

YaYa remarked recently that one perk of having a birthday two days after Christmas was that she would never have to get up early and go to school on her birthday.  It’s true.  She will always have a birthday that is more relaxing than some of her siblings, because all the birthday activities do not have to be squished into the early morning hours before school and the late afternoon hours.  YaYa slept in on her birthday, and then opened a few presents before Dr. Peds left for work.

The menu for breakfast in the bathtub was steel cut oatmeal with raisins and cinnamon.  The Banana wiggled her way into a bowl of granola since she really doesn’t care for oatmeal.  Squirmy had already eaten, but he hopped in the tub for a quick photo op anyway.

In Dr. Peds’ family, it is a tradition for everyone in the family to call the person having a birthday and sing the happy birthday song in the most exaggerated, crazy and spontaneous fashion ever.  The phone rings a lot on birthdays, and the loud and boisterous singing can be heard through the phone across the room.  The birthday song is really so much more interesting when improvised, don’t you think?  If you are going to sing badly, you might as well really, really sing badly!  It is so fun.

There was much playing, a great deal of cozy reading, a trip to the grocery store to get eggs and pick out a helium balloon, which was The Banana’s gift to Ya Ya.  In the late afternoon there was some snuggling up on Mama’s bed to watch a movie that Auntie Dot gifted us at Christmas.

YaYa picked brownies for her birthday treat.  She’s my kind of girl.  Brownies are so much more tasty than cake.  Dr. Peds made it home just in time to enjoy the treat and add a bit of ice cream before he had to rush back to work at bedtime.

Of course I can hardly believe she’s nine.  Of course I want to shrink her back down into a preschooler.  Of course I want to freeze her to keep her from growing anymore, but I’m refraining.  Nine was a good age.  I think she’ll like it.