My eldest child and only daughter will be eight tomorrow. She wants a pumpkin pie with eight candles. No cake. I am going to make it happen, somehow. I will have to consult my friends, Mrs. Smith and Marie Callender, for assistance since there are no fresh pumpkins flooding the store fronts yet. I don’t want to have to scrape my daughter’s birthday treat out of a tin can and into something hand-pressed by the Keebler Elves. I will save that for our Thanksgiving guests.
Of course she wants pumpkin pie in July. She has always been attracted to the impossible, the challenging, and the rare. Eight years ago at this moment I was an hour or two into my labor induction. She was nine days late and too satisfied with the status quo. We finally locked eyes a mere 22 hours later and it has been intense and marvelous ever since.
In the hospital nursery it was reported that she liked to be in the swing going as fast as it could go. I didn’t know newborns could go in swings. The directions that came with our Graco swing said “six weeks”. Their engineers never met our daughter. I didn’t know newborns cared about thrills and chills, but she did. As she grew, it became apparent that she is a Strong Willed Child. The back of Dr. Dobson’s book of the same name features a question I will paraphrase: Was your child born chomping on a cigar and barking orders?
Yes.
I wouldn’t change a freckle on her nose or the tint of blue in her eyes. I wouldn’t change her flashing temper, her intensity, or her natural leadership abilities. All her difficult traits only heighten her wonderful traits—she is intensely generous. She is intuitive and passionate. She is loyal, protective, and whip-smart. She still doesn’t get knock-knock jokes, adores unicorns, and will never, ever, ever be a neat freak.
She is the kind of child who wants pumpkin pie in July. So today, on the anniversary of her furiously slow trip into my arms, I will make it happen. It will be waiting for her when she wakes up on her eighth birthday, tomorrow.
Happy Birthday Aidan from Uncle Brian!
She is indeed a sweetie. I’ll never forget about how early she talked. She was facinated by my Star Wars posters on the wall in my room, and constantly asked “Who’s that?”. I’d tell her: “Darth Maul”. She’d then say “what does Darth Maul say?” as if Darth Maul was a cow or a chicken. Priceless.
Oh – she takes after her Aunt Liz — who will also have Pumpkin pie for her July birthday.
I’ve got one an awful lot like that turning eight in September. Was it something in the water that year? What a great tribute to your daughter. She’s fortunate to be so appreciated and loved.
What a lovely description of Aidan. I hope that she has a wonderful 8th(!) birthday and that she enjoys every bit of pumpkin pie. Too bad those apple pie folks don’t make a pumpkin one too.
Happy Birthday! Here’s to pumpkin pie in July.
Go for Marie’s.
What a wonderful description of Aidan.
I hope Aidan has a wonderful birthday. What a great description of her, she and my daughter Kylie (soon to be seven) sound remarkably similar!
My gosh, is it a July thing? Our eight year old daughter, Emily, was born on the second, and could be a twin to Aidan in the way that you’ve described her; Strong willed, protective, has a perpetually messy room, and tells the worst knock-knock jokes in the world.
Though ours didn’t want a pumkin pie. She wanted a wedding cake. Which, believe it or not, we were able to provide (through a gracious cake-decorator who happens to be a neighbor).
Happy birthday to Aidan
Russ—that is too cute about the wedding cake.
It’s great you have a cake-decorator neighbor who could make your daughter’s wish come true. Happy Belated Birthday to Emily.
Everyone—I think these traits are common to many first-borns (I am one too). If you believe in the psychology of birth order…
When my eldest dd (now 12) turned 6, she requested Key Lime Pie. Never had one in the house before… and never since! But she just thought it sounded exotic and wanted to try it out. I’m sure all the other little girls at the party thought she was nuts… but I did provide cupcakes for the non-pie-eaters. And my younger dd (just turned 9) sounds exactly like your dd! It’s a wild ride, but I know she’s a gift that I could never return.