When was the last time you attended a birthday party for a six year old? Everything happens in 10-minute slots. Well, this is what happened at my granddaughter’s party as Anjoli Marie kissed 5 goodbye.
Here’s a slightly exaggerated thumbnail sketch of her 6th birthday party. Little girls arrived with parents in tow. These hellos and goodbyes took 10 minutes. Then they all piled into Anjoii’s room to experience the magic land of another little girl’s bedroom. Ten minutes later, Anjoli guided the entourage to the dining table where an art project awaited. For 10 minutes they affixed stick on animals and plants and suns and trees onto foam board and wha-la, then they were done. Juice snacks came next along with the recited rule not to drink in the living room. This was less than 5 minutes followed by the lighting of the sparkler birthday candles on top of the novel “cupcake’ cake. This was devoured in 10 minutes at which point they paraded to the downstairs playroom where presents were unceremoniously torn apart with glee and thank you's. With a pile of ribbons and bows left behind the train of girls ascended once again to the dining area where Anjoli sang two songs broadcasted from a Barbie microphone. With streams still hung and three helium balloons bouncing across the ceiling, the parents returned to deliver their cake-filled children home leaving behind an officially now six Anjoli Marie. This writing should rightfully be a run on sentence to truly capture the flow of these serial events.
I ponder what lies ahead for this little girl who openly says YES! to life, who loves without strategy or restraint, pours her heart into song and who plays a calculated game of UNO.
Her older brother, Peyton now eight, takes a back seat to Anjoli’s exuberance. His sweet nature still allows you run your fingers through his hair and rub his back. Legos are a world he enters with full command of design, and he is an agile soccer player who loves to ride his bike.
Peyton is well liked by all and is now loosing his teeth. His face will transfigure as his adult teeth take over his boyish head and he waits now for his face to catch up with the size of his teeth.
I see these grandchildren in one-year increments, here are still shots of recorded moments. I observe them in leaps of understanding. I care about having relationships with them and am saddened by the limitations of distance. They are coming together as brother and sister in ways that were not apparent last year. And this warms my heart.
Recently I reflected on the fact that my own grandparents always seemed old. They were like figures in a still life portrait. I do not remember them aging they were always the same age, old. I wonder if they too took care to watch my nature develop as I grew? Did they marvel at my accomplishments and did they too contemplate what kind of woman I would grow into. I will never know.
Enjoy these captured moments which begin with Anjoli's visit to the hairdresser for the birthday curls.
