The BIG 1-0

Wow! I can't believe it! Our precious Ariel has blessed our life for an entire decade! Apparently, reaching the double digits is a BIG DEAL, at least to Ariel. She came in our room yesterday morning at 4 am excitingly proclaiming that she was the BIG 1-OH! She was no longer a baby, but a big kid with two digits in her age. I told the "BIG KID" she was still little enough to be told to go back to bed, which she did (but she never did go back to sleep).

Anyway, as I mentioned in a previous post, we no longer throw birthday parties for our children and have not since Ariel was in the first grade. Instead, we let them pick whatever they want (well, within reason) and we do it---together as a family! This year, Ariel's main wish, as is every year since the 2nd grade, was to not be embarrassed by Mike. When Ariel was in the 2nd grade, Mike and I went to have lunch with her and when Mike got there, Ariel ran to him and he picked her up like a baby in front of everyone, and in the deepest voice he could muster sang "Happy Birthday". Ariel was humiliated, and I have to say, so was I. But all of her classmates and teachers loved it, in so much that every year her classmates ask if her dad is going to sing again. She tells them, "NO. He's too OLD!" I begged Mike to sing to Ariel yesterday when he went to lunch, but he wouldn't...party pooper. But he did bring her classmates sugar free ice cream sandwiches (thanks, Mobile County Public School System)! The kids seemed to like them though. I thought it was sweet because one of her classmates told her yesterday that she was lucky to have Mike for a dad, and wished she could trade with Ariel because he is so much fun. Her classmate is right!

That night, Ariel wanted to go and eat at Applebee's one of her favorite restaurants. Still in her "I'm not a baby anymore mindset" , she asked the waitress if 10 year olds were too big to order off the kids menu. To her dismay, the waitress said, "NOPE!". HA, HA! She was a cheap birthday girl this year. It was funny because Cecily tried to convince Ariel that she (Ariel) would want to go to the skating rink (that's what Cecily wanted to do). When Ariel said no, Cecily whined, "we never get to do anything fun for your birthday." Instead, Ariel requested that we go home and watch "Open Season" with her. She has to wait until the 21st for her gift because she wanted the new Pokemon DS game, which we pre-ordered. Cecily still in her "it has got to get better than this" finally convince Ariel and Mike that for their birthday's (Mike's is tomorrow)they should join with her and go to Waterville. Sounds like a plan to me!

Oh.... I wonder if at 4o, Ariel will need me to remind her how great it is to be at an age with double digits! Maybe I'll call her at 4am and remind her. LOL. Here's looking at many more great laughs and years with Ariel!