Pumpkin Is Now Four!

The baby of the family turned four years old on July 8th.  The first thing Pumpkin said to me when she awoke yesterday morning was, "I'm a big girl now!"  And then I swallowed back a lump in my throat.  For the first time in 10 years, we do not have a baby in the house anymore.  This is a reality that is more difficult for me to accept than I had imagined it would be.  At the same time, it is hard to imagine Pumpkin not being the youngest in our brood.  It is a birth order that Pumpkin is thoroughly enjoying, except for when she is deemed "too little" to do some of the activities of her older siblings.

Four years ago, we had a 6, 5, 4, 2, & 1 year old, with only 13 months between Sweet Pea and Pumpkin.  Some believed that Monkey and I were either saints or crazy.  Well, we're certainly not saints.  Crazy?  Maybe a little.  We wouldn't change a thing.  Each new soul that we have welcomed into our lives have added a new depth of love and joy to our entire family.   There are certainly times that are challenging, but at the end of the day, my heart overflows.

Now, on to the birthday girl.

We decided to have a party on Sunday, the day before her actual birthday.  Pumpkin selected spaghetti and meatballs, kale chips, and garlic bread for her birthday supper.

Monkey made her a giant meatball. 

Pumpkin asked for a chocolate cake, with chocolate icing, sprinkles and chocolate chips.  

She was given a few Barbies (found at the thrift store), some Barbie clothes, chocolate, money, pajamas, colored marshmallows (she likes the cereal Marshmallow Matey's, but always leaves the Matey's and just eats the marshmallows, thus the Jet Puffs), a toy cash register and a Barbie closet.  The last two gifts came with conditions.  They belong to Cucumber and Gummi, who said they wanted them back after a few days.  We'll see how well that goes over!

The Birthday Girl on her actual birthday.

She spent the afternoon splashing in the kiddie pool.

And then we shared the last piece of birthday cake together.

So this little four year old firecracker we call Pumpkin is certainly a handful, but can also be pure delight.  She is smart, loud, silly, bossy, snugly, pouty, creative and fun.  Today, her favorite color is blue, but tomorrow, she'll say it is yellow.  She likes playing with her dolls, riding her bike, walking to the library, dressing up, having family movie night, and going places.  When she grows up she wants to be a ballerina and a princess.  Although, when I asked her this question yesterday, she replied, "a mermaid."  Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Some of Pumpkin's fashions have included:

This is one of my favorites, as she refers to it as her "super-hero" costume.  

 Pumpkin is capable of falling asleep almost anywhere.

The most recent Family Movie Night.

She is very good about telling her siblings when something is inappropriate.  She is headstrong (like her dad) and can dig her heels in like the best of them.  When she cries, she sobs and doesn't care where, when or who sees her carrying on this way.  But then, she is also the child that will crawl into our laps and allow us to wrap our arms around her for a long time.  She leads the litany each night during prayer and always thanks Jesus for the simple things in life; her toys, her friend Sweet Pea (that would be her sister), church, and the sunshine.  She carries around her favorite blanket (pictured above) and finds that it calms her in any number of situations.  She has a sweet tooth galore (like me) and believes that crafting should be a scheduled activity each and every day.

Pumpkin, you are a blessing!  You have a smile that lights up the room and everyday you remind me to take time to play.  Your dad and I love you very much and are constantly amazed at how you are developing into your own, unique person.  Happy Birthday Pumpkin!  Cha Cha Cha!