That's our little Johanna Belle!
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| Johanna on the right with her cousin Sophie, who also has a December birthday and will be 9. |
CELEBRATIONS
Yesterday we celebrated her fifth birthday. She shared cupcakes and snacks with her friends in afternoon pre-school, that's in the same public school where her big sister Adria attends second grade. And in the evening, Mommy rushed home from work to pack up the girls, helium balloons, and decorations and grab the cake and fruit tray. Then drive south to the Stratosphere Trampoline Park, where we barely made it in time for her 6:30 party. But we did!
Johanna and a few friends spent the next hour and a half jumping and running around a building full of trampolines. Pretty fun once you got past the overwhelming stench of stinky feet and sweat. Ha! I was thankful the party came together successfully after a day, where I had "dropped the ball" on so many other things that I may as well have been swimming in giant ball pit...
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| Trampoline Park = perfect place for Johanna to let her energetic side be free! |
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| And there were LOTS of trampolines and some good friends |
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| Party Time |
Last Saturday, we enjoyed a little celebration that my mom planned for Johanna and her cousin Sophie, who turns 9 in December. It was a special day for my sister and I, along with our three daughters to spend together with my mom at the American Girl store in Tyson's Corner. They have a very pink Cafe with a birthday luncheon menu that also includes a personal cake, ice cream and fun goody bag for the dolls, who sat in their booster seats with us.
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| Three cousins enjoying a special birthday lunch at the American Girl Cafe and store last weekend! |
When the day first started our birthday girl, Johanna, was in a grump-tastic mood...Irritating...but thankfully, she calmed down and we were all able to enjoy this unique experience.
SENSITIVE FASHIONISTA
I say that Johanna is 5 going on 15, not because I want to rush her growing up in any way, but because this girl is always surprising me with the mature nature of what she wants.
In her perfect world, she wears a dress with tights and high heels every day. But that's not always appropriate, so we often have the "what to wear" battle. She loves to try on big sister's play make-up. She wants to dye her hair, paint her nails, and she regularly wears about 10 bracelets on her wrist. She has even asked me how soon she can start shaving her legs!! Spare me...
At school, her teachers say she is their little fashionista. Her style is bold, colorful and nearly always involves a dress or skirt. Jeans are an absolute NO. Only leggings are acceptable.
Johanna loves to sing and dance, and she's provided great entertainment for her little brother Judah for the full 19 months of his life. He's laughed at her more than anyone else and is generally patient with her extra strong hugs and forceful kisses.
This year we've seen Johanna begin to excel in her learning. She's taken longer than her sister to conquer ABCs and 123s but is making great progress. She'll spend time looking at books and magazines, though the iPad is definitely preferred.
I love her adventurous spirit. When we brought the kids to Hershey Park this summer, she wanted to ride all the FAST rides that her big sister was afraid of. And she was deeply disappointed that she was too short for the roller coasters, except for the smaller one.
Yet behind this wild, fashionista exterior lies a soft heart full of Love. She often randomly says, "I love our family! I love everyone!" She's become the first to volunteer to say prayers at the dinner table, even if it's a big family dinner with many gathered. She remembers her great-grandma (my maternal grandmother) who died two years ago and who she only saw a few times.
Just recently Johanna said, "I really miss Great-Grandma. I don't remember what she looks like. I really love her a lot." Then tears fell down her sweet cheeks. There are moments when she cries easily because her heart is touched. Even a child's story I read the other night about a boy and his mother growing up had her crying. Ok, ok, I shed a few tears too. It's a sensitivity she carries that is not always obvious.
And tonight, as is the case every night, she has her two favorite blankets with her in bed, the pink bear and green fuzzy froggy blankets (that were passed down from when Adria was a baby). They provide her comfort as she sleeps. Because sometimes she is afraid of Monsters.
But it was a conversation about fear and monsters with Daddy, that ultimately resulted in her praying to ask Jesus in her heart a few months ago. She used to wake up yelling in the night, but it's very rare since she asked Jesus to be with her.
Yes, she is just now 5. I see a powerhouse in the making in Johanna. The future is hers to embrace. She walks her own unique path and goes after what she wants with a vengeance.
I try to remember this will serve her well in life, when it's driving me crazy at home :) Thank you, Lord, for this precious, healthy little girl.
