Last year for Callie's birthday, I hosted a rambunctious group of girls at Color Me Mine pottery studio. This year, Covid restrictions made throwing a birthday difficult. However, even if Carona wasn't to blame, we couldn't have rounded up such a group.
Callie has always had quite the posse of girls surrounding her. However, the start of middle school has meant starting over. Since our valley has two middle schools, most of her group attends the other school. At the end of last year, she was feeling sad about it. Then one of the girls threw a 4th of July party. As Callie got in the car after I picked her up, she said, "I am fine with starting over with a new group of friends. I'm even excited about it." It sounds like the party was full of a lot of running and screaming—oh, the screaming. Can't you just picture it? Callie felt ready to move on. I had to chuckle to myself.
November 3, 2020—TWELVE
Callie loves to read. While we traveled to one of Grayson's cross country meets, we listened to Star Girl. We finished it in one day! We read/listened to Love, Stargirl on our own and chatted about it as we went. Oh, how Katrina loved those books! The other girls did too, but not like Kat.
We watched the movie as a family. It's cute.
I checked Callie out a little early from school and we spent the day together doing girl things—without the screaming. We ate, got our nails done, and shopped—girl things. She needed a new suit for our upcoming trip. We found the perfect one at LimeRicki (finding a swimming suit in November is no joke!)
Callie has the prettiest hands with long, glorious nail beds. She could be a hand model. Fur rillz.
The Sunday before, when we pulled into the parking lot at the church, a sister asked us, "You decided to drive today?" Since we live close to the church, we usually walk. Sure enough, it was a fine day—I don't know why we didn't. I said, "I guess I forgot that we walk!" The kids concurred that they thought it was odd when I got in the van that morning.
After church, I found myself gabbing outside with another family, when the husband pointed out how low my passenger side tire was. Matt took the van in the next day—they found a nail in the tire.
I felt a warm hug from the spirit. If I hadn't driven to church that day, this kind brother would not have noticed my tire. I would have driven Callie down the canyon for her birthday outing, where we would have no doubt run into trouble or maybe even blown a tire.
***Funny note, do you realize that it was a year ago to the day that I found another nail in my tire?! Also, on Callie's birthday. While Matt was busy with Sunday meetings, Grayson helped me change the tire. Too odd!***
We are in Her Corner
We went to dinner at The Corner Restaurant in Midway. I was in love with my beet salad and crab cake. No reason the birthday girl's mom shouldn't also feel special, right?
Aloha!
Callie got a face time call from the Hawaiin Islands! Her sisters asked her to show them her new suit, so Callie modeled it for them. Ava said, "I have a top out of that same material!"
Cupcakes and well-wishes rounded out the night.
We love our Callie cat!
How C has grown! I spent some time this fall organizing the storage room downstairs. I noticed that the American Girl Dolls had been tossed haphazardly in a big box. One evening I asked Callie to get them back in their original outfits and brush out their hair. While I sewed at the table, she worked on that.
Callie sent a picture to Mallerie and Ava, "I got your dolls all fixed up." Later, Matt asked me why we still have all those dolls. When I told him what we had paid for them, he concurred, "We are keeping them!"
Callie then helped me stage her diner to sell on KSL. As hard as it was to see it go, we both agreed it may as well be enjoyed rather than collect dust.
I miss the days when she would drag out the dolls to play with fur rillz.
Priceless.
