Rose's 8th Birthday

Dear Rose,

It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating your first birthday and in a blink you have somehow turned 8 years old! 

In anticipation of your upcoming celebration, you had been working on a birthday present wish list. The number one item on your list was a "burger kitty". What a very odd request! You had stumbled across it on YouTube and for some reason thought you just HAD to have one. 

When you woke up that morning and saw your presents sitting on the counter, you couldn't wait to rip them open. You eagerly opened each one and smiled with delight as you looked at your fun new gifts. You indeed got your burger kitty (Thank goodness for Google and online shopping!) along with a couple slinkies (you mentioned wanting two so that you could race them with Owen), plus a puppy dress and puppy necklace to wear at your party which, as one might imagine, was puppy themed.

Mrs. Nelson picked out the perfect gifts for you - a cozy blanket and a special stuffed animal llama called a "warmie" that can be microwaved to keep it warm and snuggly all night long. 

For your birthday dinner, you requested one of your all-time favorites - butter noodles from Noodles and Company. You no longer order the kids meal but have upgraded to the full size adult meal. 

Then it was off to the backyard to take a dip in the pool. The water was quite chilly, but that didn't stop you. You love to swim!

You ended your special day with dessert. Instead of cake or cupcakes, you picked donuts! You were like a kid in a candy store picking out a wide assortment of yummy donuts from our local bakery. We lit the candle on your donut and sang 'Happy Birthday to You' as you blew it out. You asked for a small piece to be cut off (it was a huge donut after all!) because you wanted to sample the smorgasbord of donut varieties you had chosen.

Rose - you are one feisty, headstrong, determined little girl. If you set your mind on something, there's no stopping you - from keeping up with the boys at soccer to whipping up some unique (and most likely messy) science experiment at home. "No" is a word you often ignore if you are fully committed to a task.

Tutu is still your most prized possession. You named your elephant lovey Tutu many years ago. It's the very same lovely that you got back in 2015. That Tutu has been drug all over the house with with you. It's your security blanket that you need to have every night as you drift off to sleep. You will still hold Tutu up to your face while playing with its tag that is barely holding on and sucking away on your fingers. A bad habit that you are trying to break, but definitely not an easy one to stop after all these years.

You love big, soft, cozy blankets. You'll often be found all curled up under a blanket watching your favorite YouTuber or listening to your favorite music. You've become quite the music fan and even have your very own playlist. You are in the habit of blasting the same song over and over on repeat. Your favorite song is currently "Take My Name" by Parmalee. While you sure do enjoy it, the rest of us aren't as excited to be hearing the same song for the 12th time in a row.

You have a style all your own. Bright colors and wild prints are your favorites. Dull colors like blue, black or gray sit in your drawers untouched. Because why wear boring clothes when you can be colorful! You'll often come down the stairs in the morning dressed head to toe in tie-dye or some loud flashy color.

You are a whiz when it comes to numbers. You love adding and subtracting and often write up your own number problems for Pa or me to solve so you can review our math skills. You'll even ask us to come up with some math problems for you to solve. Hopefully your love of math continues all the way through calculus.

You are a HUGE fan of ketchup. In fact, you told me that you'd put ketchup on "ANYTHING except ice cream". You can be found dipping all sorts of things into your favorite condiment from the typical standard foods like chicken nuggets and burgers to the more unusual foods such as noodles, mac & cheese, salmon, and even strawberries! You sure do love your ketchup.

You have a big heart for critters - both the four legged furry ones like dogs, cats, and rabbits, but also the much more creepy crawly ones like frogs, turtles, grasshoppers, and worms. You enjoy exploring the big outdoors in search of all its creatures. You often request to take a walk down to the bridge across the street to look for frogs, turtles, and the occasional muskrat. You have no fear when it comes to most critters except for spiders - you do NOT like spiders. But a handful of worms you'll scoop right up. 

You are always on the lookout for turtles that have wandered out of their habitats, making sure to carry them off the dangerous road and safely place them in the wetlands behind our house. You have saved all sorts of turtles from fairly large 1' ones to the teeniest, tiniest little ones.

Wendy's is one of your favorite restaurants. You request it often and always order the same - chicken nuggets and a burger - hold the fries. Plus a side of extra ketchup, of course! You don't have to twist your siblings arms to go out to eat at Wendy's. They all love it! There's nothing better than being a silly goose while snacking away on your favorite grub. 

One of your favorite weekend stops (other than donuts!) is the gas station. You love bike rides to the gas station to pick out some yummy treats. And if there's not enough time to take the bikes, you'll request to drive there with Pa to get yourself a fill of not-so-healthy-for-you gas station sweets.

You enjoy being on the go. Golfing, soccer, swimming, playing at the park - you are always up for any adventure that comes your way. You are our fearless, determined, fun-loving girl. 

A very happy 8th birthday to you, Rose! While your interests have definitely matured over the course of the year, you will always be our baby girl.