Iris,

Happy 8th birthday! We celebrated you first with just us and then after 2+ years of no house guests due to the covid-19 pandemic, we were able to have a party for you!

It was so nice to welcome people back into our home.

I imagine college parties are going to look similar…

It’s actually several months after your birthday as I finish this up (and backdated to your birthday) — the post-birthday whirlwind of the end of school and start of summer kept us very busy — some things were fun like celebrating your first communion but others were stressful like Grandpa’s heart surgery and Daddy getting covid and living in the camper on our driveway. Yikes.

This year has brought lots of new things for you. And us too…

Grandparents Breakfast at school

2nd grade introduced you to team sports — you loved soccer and played for school in the fall and the YMCA in the spring. We joined the YMCA last summer and the more frequent pool access was just what you needed to get braver in the water — you are getting better at swimming, are comfortable going underwater, jumping in and floating on your back. You even passed the swim test at the Y and jumped off the diving board at Aunt Val’s!

You had your own cheering section…

You made new friends this year and joining AHG was a gateway to lots of social activities. You are pulling our family out of our introverted comfort zone and I’m here for it.

You and Dad enjoyed your first Father-Daughter Dance

You made your first communion this year! And we celebrated with another party!

Your teacher introduced you to Harry Potter in the fall and our world has been forever changed. You love to read the books over and over and have even started writing your own fan fiction. We recently took a quiz to find out which Hogwarts house we belong to. Emmy and I are Hufflepuffs and you and Daddy are Ravenclaws.

“I’d rather be at Hogwarts”

Your teacher said you are the best writer in the class! But I’d love you still even if you weren’t. 😉

You’ve been wanting piano lessons and when an opportunity fell in our lap this past spring, we went for it. Girl, you rock at piano!! You bang out Pop Goes The Weasel like a boss on our 1980s organ. Dad hooked up a keyboard I got from work to his amp in the basement and sometimes you tap out tunes on that, adding lots of eerie effects that are blasted through our house. I’m looking forward to hearing some Christmas music!

You’ve also been baking. You can do almost everything  yourself except take it out of the oven. You made a birthday cake for Aunt Amanda that brought her to tears because, as the designated chef in the family, she realized no one besides Nana has ever made her a birthday cake. <3

We started going to restaurants again! First stop: Frisch’s – your fave. You were pleased.

Hanging with cousins is always a good time!

Even virtual hangs!

We also hit up Stricker’s Grove. You proudly guided Emmy onto rides and even rode a few of the big kid rides — to varying degrees of satisfaction.

You continue to be a friend to animals and a great helper.

You demand justice (particularly when it comes to your sister) and forever ask for things. These traits drive me nuts sometimes but I will not squash them as I know they will serve you well. And also, because I think I’m exactly the same. I love you so much. It is such a joy to watch you grow up — my fierce, powerful, worthy girl.

love,

Mom

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