Happy Birthday, DC!

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My oldest daughter turned 9 over the weekend. It feels to me like these birthday posts are happening faster and faster. Didn’t I just write about her a bit ago?

It continues to amaze me how different my kids are from each other. What they like to do. How they approach work and school and playing. Tomas and DC aren’t polar opposites or anything, but there are some things DC would happily do for hours that Tomas would rather avoid at all costs.

For a present this year, DC asked for an experience, not a thing. That by itself is a huge difference from Tomas. So she’s getting drawing lessons instead of a video game or new clothes or some other doodad. I feel bad for the artists in our schools. Tomas has been in gifted and talented for years, getting special instruction in writing and math because he qualifies for both. DC got a letter from school saying that if we had a gifted and talented program in art, she’d be in it. But we don’t, so she gets a trip to a local art museum for a day. It’s better than nothing, but it’s still a far cry from nourishing budding young artists.

Another strange thing? She asked for a birthday trifle, not a birthday cake. Apparently if you put candles in something, it counts. She’s following in the footsteps of Denisa, who prefers birthday pie. Go figure.

DC will happily help watch her sister, clean around the house, and do pretty much any chore we ask her to. Yesterday when Denisa and I were out clearing off the 18 or 20 inches of snow from our driveway, porch, and roof, she was right there with us. (Well, some of the time she was off building a snow fort, but when we needed her there, she came every time.)

MC always prefers to have Denisa put her to bed, but if Mom can’t be there, then she much prefers DC to do it than me. Maybe I have a horrible bedside manner. I don’t know. But MC and DC get along very well and happily build forts and read books and play together every day. And then DC can turn around and play with Tomas for hours as well. She’s adaptable, that girl.

I’m very proud of her, and I think she’s awesome. And if she keeps growing, she’ll tower over me, which is saying something. She’s almost as tall as Tomas, and he’s got an almost 4 year head start. Sometimes I think that makes things harder on her. She looks so grown up, it’s easy to expect her to be just as mature. But not fair to, and I have to remember that.

In any case, happy birthday DC! Hope it was a great one.

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