Today is Father's Day.
And as much as I'd hoped that I would have an extra-special gift in the form of a tiny, wrinkled little bundle of sweet newborn perfection to present to my love on this Father's Day, I suppose I'll just have to go with a new tie and a Diet Pepsi. Or something. Which I have yet to figure out because I simply cannot begin to figure out how to plan for days that stretch on and on and on into pregnancy and over-dueness when I thought we'd be long past this point by now. Oh well. Not complaining.
Or am I.
In any case, I am so thankful for this man and the father he is to our children. I have loved every minute of watching him be such an amazing daddy to our girls and I can't wait to watch him be father to a SON. A son! Still can hardly believe it. How is this my life??
Charlotte's birthday was another one of those special days that I just did not know how to plan for this year. I love birthdays. I am a "big birthday party" kind of gal, scouring Pinterest for ideas and inspirations, and trying my hardest to implement them all, much to my dismay and frustration at times. I even try to plan our babies around being born at ideal birthday times, but that has just turned out to be completely laughable. I have a Christmas baby and twins. Every party-planning nightmare.
But this year, with my due date being June 14 and Charli's birthday being the 18th, I just wasn't sure how to plan. Do I invite people and plan a big party and just cancel it if I need to, because of the baby? But what if I plan a big party and the baby doesn't come which is nice, but then I just don't FEEL like doing anything by that time? I just didn't know what to plan. So this year was the perfect year to "downsize" on birthday craziness, as hard as it was for me to do that.
I am loving our new tradition of a special daddy/daughter date for breakfast on their birthday, and I'm sure it means even more to them than I can know. And so even though I had no idea how to plan for her big day, I knew at least she would get to go on a date with her daddy, and it would absolutely make her day. And it did.
But I still wanted to make the rest of her day special, and so I tried to think up an activity that would be low-key, laid-back, require almost no work, and that she would still love. Thankfully I have family and friends who aren't afraid of a little spontaneity, and so after a very, VERY last minute invitation, they met us at the park for a picnic lunch and some fun in the water. They even managed to bring gifts, which I am still shaking my head at, because it was literally SO last minute. People are so thoughtful and generous (and infinitely more prepared and organized than I ever would be) and it just blesses my heart.
The Birthday Girl, precariously perching on the last remaining silver of her mommy's lap to blow out her birthday candles. I wasn't feeling up to making a cake or cupcakes, so I just brought doughnuts, but then my dear mother-in-law brought some beautiful cupcakes along! So the kids even had OPTIONS. Take that, Pinterest.
There was a stuffed Piglet in one of her gifts that has hardly left her arms since.
I have to say, I was so proud of Jocelyn that day. Being 4 is still a hard age to comprehend someone else's Big Day and jealousy can thrive and abound. But she seemed genuinely happy for her sister all day long. She presented Charlotte's birthday outfit to her with as much glee and fanfare as if it had been her own. She was a little sad when Randy left with her on their breakfast date, but immediately perked up to help me wrap some gifts. She giggled and squealed as Charlotte unwrapped ours at home, and then later at the park, dutifully brought her bags and offered to help. She remembered to ask Charlotte's permission to play with her birthday things and wasn't offended if Sis wasn't yet ready to share Piglet.
It warmed my heart so much to see her sharing in her sister's moment in the spotlight. They are truly becoming the best of friends and I feel like a broken record with this but it is just seriously a dream come true. They are so different. They look different, they respond differently, they react differently, they approach life differently. But they share something so much deeper than just "having things in common". They share blood and parents and a room and soon, a little brother, and they are SISTERS. I can't wait to seem them walk throughout life together. Ups and downs, highs and lows.
I will fight for them. I will fiercely work to maintain this bond, this kinship. I will try my best to prevent people, or situations, or things tear them apart or drive a wedge. I will try to always steer them back to their love for each other.
And now I guess a post that should have been about Fathers sort of ended up being about sisters, but I guess that's what you get from hormonal, 41 weeks-and-counting pregnant woman. Not a whole lot of predictable consistency emanating from this one's head these days.
Just ask my dear husband.
