8 things :

chocolate cake with whipped cream

spaghetti and 8 meatballs (though the next day you said you wished you had picked swiss enchiladas)

cerberus and the princes of darkness and light

bow and arrows, monster feet

a knit dress and a fancy hat

sleeping buddy (a habit from India that I am loathe to break)

artist, reader, imaginary world dweller

comedienne

_

Darling girl,

You are eight. The two hour school delay on your birthday meant you could take a long shower in the morning. It meant I had the time to make a few photographs of you. Warm and damp in your unicorn towel all curled up on the bed, thumb firmly in the mouth. In your PE uniform for a simple portrait. Coming home from school, running up the steps to see if I had made the cake you wanted. In the hat and dress you picked out, playing with the Cerberus and princes figurines, shooting arrows from the bow and walking on monster feet…. declaring you are just not into Harry Potter anymore. Blowing out 8 candles on your cake. Reading to you and falling asleep at 7:00pm.

A couple of months ago I wrote about the storm that was brewing in my head. On your birthday, all I felt was calm and happiness. Baking that cake for you, making meatballs and spaghetti, dropping you off in the morning to school and then coming back 90 minutes later to give you Salt and Vinegar chips and a cookie for your birthday treat. Calm and centered and whole.. that is how I felt. No rush. Just in the moment and full of gratitude for you in my life.

Love you to the moon and back,

xo, Mummy