Mary Turns Double Digits!

Our firstborn daughter has turned ten! Mary Genevieve is bright, diligent in her work, self-motivated, and thoughtful. Numerous times daily, she will say something to me like, "I've finished doing such-and-so, is there anything I can help you with?"

Her tenth birthday festivities were spread out over several days.

Ear Piercing

Our gift to Mary for her tenth birthday was getting her ears pierced, which she has been requesting for some time now.

I did not want to take her to a mall kiosk where a teenager with maybe half an hour's worth of training uses a possibly unsterile gun to pierce her ears. I (who had seven ear piercings back in the day) had various such teenagers shoot my piercings crooked, have to do them over again, and I came away with infections.

So, we found an actual tattoo and piercing establishment which has gone "somewhat mainstream" in our local mall. This establishment is the only such of its kind in our city which uses the same sterilizing machinery that hospitals use for their surgical equipment and is, of course, staffed by people who have (for better or worse) made careers out of piercing.

Mary was entirely brave and I really should not have been surprised, given knowing this daughter for ten years, when the dreadlocked piercer pulled me aside afterward to tell me admiringly that "She's one of the best kids we've ever had. Usually young people have . . . very heightened reactions."

This child did not flinch.

Afterward we went to dinner together and had a lovely, peaceful time!

Anne of Green Gables Celebration

Mary has read the seven-book series of "Anne of Green Gables" (a fondly remembered fifth birthday gift from her Grampa Neil, may he rest in peace) and wanted to celebrate in that style. This was a lot more complex than when our firstborn son wanted to celebrate his tenth birthday by roasting hot dogs over the back yard bonfire and playing football in the back field!

It was glorious fun and a truly joy-filled time!

Family Birthday

Then on the day of her actual birthday, we opened gifts from out-of-town family and Chris took her on a little daddy-daughter date.

Her siblings gave her a new apron.

One exciting gift was a pogo stick! On the first morning, Mary could manage only six jumps, but she determinedly went outside to try again on every break she could. She announced her new records to me for days and I think now is over 100 jumps in a row!

Happy Birthday, Mary!