Ivy’s 7th birthday!

Earlier this week I was emailing with my friend Marta. I mentioned to her that Ivy was about to turn seven and how I couldn’t handle how quickly time seems to be passing. Not just my kids getting older, but this special year of adventure speeding by. Marta had a more poetic way of perceiving it. She sent a reply explaining how she has decided not to lament her kids growing up. She embraces and celebrates each stage–seeing it as a privilege to watch them grow up–celebrating with them as they excitedly gain each year. How right she is! While I have been hoping for time to slow down, Ivy has been excitedly counting down the days until she turns seven!

Sweet Ivy – she is so excited to be one year older, so proud to be one year taller, so enthusiastic about reading bigger books and playing bigger kid games with her brothers. She is so kind to other children, so nurturing to younger ones, so interested in the bigger ones. She is sensitive and strong, gentle but firm. She is always so cheerful and it is such a delight to watch her grow into the beautiful person she is. Time is passing, and sometimes it seems to go more quickly than usual, but what a relief it is to be able to celebrate it rather than hopelessly trying to stop it.

Also, how lucky we are to be on this adventure, celebrating our birthdays in different places all over the world — with new sights, smells and sounds filling our memory of our special day. Each of us has celebrated our birthdays in a different country this year, and Ivy has been looking forward to Sri Lanka since the beginning of our trip, knowing it’s where her birthday would be celebrated.

On Ivy’s 7th birthday, we woke early when she came running into our bedroom. We played ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ from Michael’s phone and I picked Ivy up and danced with her in the bedroom. We all walked upstairs together where Michael had hung the bunting the night before. She donned the birthday crown, opened a few small presents, read cards from her brothers, and then we ate the breakfast she had requested: crepes filled with Nutella and banana, aside a plateful of tropical fruit.

After a trip to Marissa beach, we came back to our home (at the Ebb & Flow Jungalows) where a surprise package had arrived from Tutu du Monde. The day was already magical, but the tutus sealed the deal. The rest of the evening was spent dancing, twirling and celebrating our happy girl. Here are some photos from this special day.