Fastest Party in the East

Kendra Elise, our brand-new seven-year-old!

From the very first moment that she laid eyes on Kendra, Katrina owned her sister. She did not appreciate anyone else (including me or the nurses) holding Kendra. Kendra was her baby. As she began to walk, Katrina would lead Kendra around by the shoulders, directing her every step. It’s no wonder, then, that Kendra soon became Katrina’s shadow and her echo. Everything Katrina liked, Kendra liked. Everything Katrina said, Kendra said.

But this year, Kendra has become her own little person and it has been so fun to watch her personality blossom. She loves nature and has officially written of the color pink in favor of the green, she is very social but also loves being alone and just watching, she is observant and opinionated, she’ll be the one to say to me someday, “You’re going out of the house in that?”, she loves jokes and laughs easily, she has her own friends and her own set of likes and dislikes, she has slid into the French school easily, she is crazy about her sister and her daddy, and is still her mommy’s snuggle bug. Thank you, God, for Kendra!

The neighbor kids held an impromptu party for Kendra in their 'club' out back complete with fake flowers in a broken flowerpot dragged 100 yards, an old rug, some wood from the trash for a shade for her, and swiped food from each house! It was very, very sweet of them, although I'm not sure their mothers still have any idea of where all their chip bags disappeared to!

Kendra wanted a nature birthday party and boy, did she get it! We went out to the woods and soon heard the rumbling of thunder as the sky darkened. Picture a video of a normal birthday party. Then push the fast-forward button and keep watching. That’s pretty much how it was. All of us adults were madly running from one activity to the next, doubling up on games, running finished things to the cars - all in a mad race against the rain! We did a nature scavenger hunt and picture, pin-the-leaf-on-the-tree, parachute games, and terrariums in high speed.

Then came lighting the candles as the rain started (bird nests on the right). As soon as I was done, we started the singing and I picked Kendra up to move her to cake-picture-taking-position but accidently touched the still-hot lighter to her hand. The kids sang all three versions of Happy Birzday to you!" (English with accent, French, and Arabic) with great gusto, completely oblivious to the wailing birthday child and the guilty mother. "STOP!" I yelled, somewhere in the middle of the French version. I calmed Kendra down in record time, then we started the songs up again, stuffed the children with food, then, in the downpour, ran all the kids to the biggest vehicle available! Whew! Later it hailed as well. Such is the nature of nature!