Elsa is NINE!

Elsa is nine and feelin' fine!

It has been another great year for Elsa with lots of exciting new experiences. The highlight would have to be her debut on stage in New Ballet Ensemble's Nut Remix. We may be biased, but she was totally the most gracefully precise dancing soldier out there. This was a big production complete with costumes, make-up, and bonus rehearsals, and I'm pretty sure she loved every minute of it.

Unsurprisingly, Elsa thrived at school and rocked every one of those timed multiplication tests that are still such a major part of 3rd grade. She made some sweet new friends in her class and maintained friendships from past years; I think everyone was so grateful to be back in school full-time with other kids that it was a harmonious experience for all. We spent as many afternoons at the park as we could, with a friend or two waiting for us on the porch when we rode home from school. It made my heart so glad to see a pack of kids running around at the park--what we consider our front yard--having fun. 

Elsa continues to devour any book she can get her hands on except now the books are getting longer and longer. She has discovered the joy in having quiet reading time after her siblings have gone to bed, and I must confess to being a bit of sucker when she begs to "just let me finish my chapter." A girl after my own heart to be sure. That's not the only way she has started to take after me, though. She also has a tendency to "mother" her sister and brother, which is usually with good intentions.

She still loves to ride her bike (with the promise of a bike with gears as her birthday gift) and play outside. I continue to be impressed with her ninja skills; she did not get her upper body strength from me. Climbing camp is something to look forward to again this year, and she has expressed an interest in basketball, so we'll see if that is something she wants to pursue in the winter.

But the birthday activity of choice this year was roller skating. After not having a true party for two years, we went all in on the skating party. Despite the chaos of our world, some things never change, and one of those is the roller skating rink. Down to the neon carpet, too-loud pop music, flashing video games...and even the smell. It was awesome!

Zipping around the rink

Thanks to a solid recommendation from the rink manager, we hosted the party on a Friday afternoon. The rink was not too crowded, and Elsa and her friends (and some little siblings) had a great time flying around the rink. Jon was apparently feeling very charitable and essentially turned himself into a token dispenser to the delight of all the party-goers. There was pizza and cake and so many tickets. We all had a blast, and the birthday girl felt very loved.

Elsa's birthday landed on a Tuesday, so we fit in all of traditional birthday activities around the school day. Lena and Erik were the first to wake the birthday girl with their gifts and cards before her birthday breakfast. She had trouble deciding between scrambled eggs or pancakes and wisely settled on both. This girl loves birthdays and had been planning for months, down to the "out of uniform" coupon she saved so she could wear her birthday shirt to school. Evidently the unofficial treat theme was Oreos because she requested an Oreo cake (poke cake to be specific) for her party, and she took Oreo cookies to school to share with her class. Thank goodness we had the foresight to hide them from Jon!

After school, Elsa was the guest of honor at a huge playdate at the park. That afternoon was the first really hot day of the spring, so we blew through two giant packages of popsicles, and there may have been some water games involved. Most of the regulars were there as well as some friends from class who were also eager to celebrate some more.

Although hot and tired, the birthday girl rallied for the customary Chinese duck dinner, cake and ice cream, and presents from family (thank you, all!). Oh, and we had to squeeze in the sheep photo shoot as well, of course.

How did that sheep get so small?

The day was so much fun that Elsa had a hard time falling asleep that night. I'd say it was too much birthday...but is that even possible?