Autumn birthday balloons

We've finally pulled down our birthday balloons from our autumnal crew! 

Here's what Ben had to say about Andrew:

You are the bread-maker of the house, both in sourdough and in green dough. I love your smile and your laugh, your cooking skills surpass even Gordon Ramsay. You have amazing programming skill and you're just my dad so I love you!

Zoë made a tree diagram to show how loving (L), caring (C), and "favourite dad" (FD) Andrew is:

Happy birthday! You are the world's best dad! You are good at math and other work.

Miriam says:

Happy birthday, father. 

I'm really thankful for your cooking and how you encourage me to be bolder in my own. You always help me with Zotero and citations (which is really nice). I love you so much!!

I say:

40 years young and looking great! Want an adventure you've had (I'm so happy to have shared these years with you)! You are amazingly talented at everything you put your mid to: cooking, coding, teaching, writing, book designing, etc. Thank you for all you do to help keep our home running smoothly—laundry and dishes and vacuuming, etc. It's always been fun to wath you be a dad, but especially so with Phoebe, who absolutely adores you! We've been lucky to have you home so much the last few years—the one good thing about COVID, I guess. Thank you for choosing me. I'd choose you over and over. I love you!

Alexander says:

Dog lover
hAppy dude
Daddy

You are 40. 

Some of that is true, I guess.

Here's what Rachel had to say:

Dear Dad,

Happy birthday 60 days late! Oops. Thank you for helping me with math and college application essays and for making me go to urgent care when I had pneumonia. You're smart and kind and funny and a great dad in general. I love you!

Alexander's birthday was next in line, so here's what we had to say about him...

From Andrew:

Happy birthday, little dude! I'm so excited that you're seven now! You're such a fun kid and you always try hard and think about other people. Keep being great! Love, Dad

From Rachel:

Alex! I can't believe you're seven already; that's so crazy! You're a kind, sweet, conscientious kid, and I'm glad to have you as my little brother. I'm impressed by how much you like doing math, and impressed by how much you like learning in general—and I'm excited to watch you learn and grow even more. Happy birthday! Love, Rachel

Amazing reader and math doer
Loving brother
Extensive owl knowledge-haver
eXcellent helper

Miriam says:

Happy birthday, Alex! I cannot believe that you are seven already!!! You have grown so much this year. You're always so eager to learn (remember when you finished like 5 units of math in one day? That was crazy!). You always want to help, and you're an all-around wonderful brother to have! I love you so much!

Benjamin says:

Happy birthday, Owl Bear! Hustle on in and take a seat. Happy birthday, Alex! You keep growing every, in both kindness and stature. I hope one day I will teach you DnD! Happy birthday, bro!! (Haha! We are nerds!!)

Zoë wrote:

An owl lover
Loving
Exuberant
eXpert on owls

I believe she also sent the "anonymous" note:

Alex! I love you so much and am glad to be your sister. Your handwriting is improving a lot. 

And I wrote:

Alexander! How has it been seven years since you were born?! You are a...

Super kid
Everyone's favourite owlman
Very fun to be around
Enthusiastic
Nature-loving kid

I'm lucky to be your mother so I can watch you grow. You have taught me so much and are such a joyful, gentle soul. I love you so much!

Then a couple of weeks after his birthday we celebrated Miriam!

Ben wrote an acrostic:

Musically talented
Interesting
R programmer
Ice cream (no popcorn)
Amazing
Magical

I love your music; it's so good. I love how when you practice it resonates throughout the house.

Zoë wrote:

Miriam! You are a wonderful organist, caring sister, and loving frined. You are 15 already! I hope you enjoy the game I gave you!

Dad wrote:

Miriam! You're so cool! You've grown up so much this past year and are such a Charming Young Woman! I love how independent you've become and how you juggle all your responsibilities and jobs and practicing and everything. Keep being awesome!

Rachel said:

Dear Miriam, Happy (late) birthday! I can't believe you're 15 already. You're such a good organ player and composer and musician in general. You're a good sister, roommate, and friend, and you're funny and kind and fun to hang out with. I love you!

Alex said:

Mother Rachel
I love you
Real orkenest
In house love
hAppy birthday
Music

And I wrote:

Miriam—you have been such a big help this semester! And you're becoming so accomplished in so many areas: organ, of course, but also you're keeping up with your college classes, tackling cooking and baking projects, being YW president, arranging and composing... The list goes on and on! You are a good friend and a good sister. You are patient and long-suffering (with your braces, for example, but also with your siblings and through other challenges). I appreciate your pattern of thoughtfulness. Remember that you are loved no matter what!

And our very last birthday of the year—Little Miss Phoebe, who so patiently watched everyone have a turn at blowing out candles before she finally got her turn!

Zoë says:

Puppy
Happy
Over the moon about treats
Ever screaming "My Little Piggy!"
"Birfday" in November
Everyone loves you, Phoebe!

I can't believe that you are three! You are a beaut, and you are loving and caring. I hope that you carry on with being your beautiful self!

Dad says:

Phoebe! 

You never sleep! Start sleeping Now! 

Happy birthday, little girl! You're a funny and fun kid and I'm excited to see you grow up more this year!

I say:

It's finally your birthday! You've been waiting for so long and we are so happy to celebrate wonderful you!

Playful puppy
Huggle-bug
Obviously never going to nursery
Evader of dish duty
Bluey fanatic
Everyone's favourite caboose

I love you and your sweeet little laugh and your beautiful curls. Watching you grow up has been a joy!

Benjamin says:

Hey Phoebe! You are so cute and I love watching you grow. I love playing magnets with you. You have gotten so much better at building and your creations are so good! Love you lots!

Alexander drew her a little picture of Grogu and wrote: 

Play-full
Hard to sleep with you
Optamistick
Energetick
Bad at sleep
Explorer

Wonderful! You're 3 now!

Miriam Rachel wrote:

Happy birthday! You have grown so much this year. I can't believe that you are 3! You always look for opportunities to joke around (I know you know my name...) and always want to help, even if that means playing Lego in the basement while we are making dinner. I can't wait to see how you grow this year. I love you so much!!!

Love Rachel (Miriam...wait...that's not my name!)

And I guess the real Miriam missed out on writing a birthday balloon for Phoebe. We were so far behind in writing birthday balloons this year so when we finally sat down to write them things got a little chaotic. 

*****

It should be noted that Phoebe is constantly confusing Rachel and Miriam. Like, when she was learning to talk she got down "Racha" but refused to say anything remotely like Miriam. For a long time she would call her "that" as in "that one over there." But she eventually figured out some sounds for Miriam. And then she started to switch up Rachel and Miriam. 

Even now she will usually call them by the wrong name first. 

It's like this on-going joke for her. She thinks it's hilarious to call them by the wrong name. 

(Also I will note that she calls Miriam something that sounds like, "May-em," which is also 100% how she says, "Amen" at the end of each prayer). 

Also, I will note that Rachel is very often surprised at how old everyone is getting. Like, she just cannot believe it!