For odd birthdays in our family, the birthday girl (or boy, as the case may be) chooses a favorite restaurant for dinner. Eve was adventurous this year (not to mention a little spendy) and invited us all out to a Japanese steakhouse.
It was our most expensive meal to-date. (Then again, we don’t go out to eat much).
All the kids considered it a huge treat-even Jack was engaged, yelling “Fire! Fire!” every time he saw a grill light up. Even our “picky” eater appreciated the experience and ventured outside her comfort zone to try fried rice and catch grilled shrimp in her mouth. It almost made me consider investing in a hibachi simply to get her to eat her vegetables.
Eve herself was delighted by the whole thing. Then we headed back home for cake, ice cream and presents. She’s our non-chocolate lover, so I’m sure she was thrilled to indulge in rainbow chip cake with sprinkles on top and birthday cake ice cream. All of her presents were a hit, which is actually somewhat surprising since she kept amending her wish list right up until the day before her birthday, and long after all the presents had been ordered, shipped and wrapped.
As per our tradition, we each took a turn sharing one thing we love about Eve. It was not difficult to come up with honest compliments for this sweet girl of ours. She’s bright, generous, a ball of energy, an expert harmonizer, a loving snuggler, an incessant talker, a creative genius and so much more.
What a difference she makes in our family. Happy ninth birthday to my baby girl!