Birthdays, Balloons, Scooters & Tough Lessons Learned

Melanie and I had a great day Saturday morning. After ballet class, we went to the nail salon and Melanie got her first manicure. I let her pick the nail polish, hoping for a subtle and sweet pink color, but Melanie had flourescent, neon PINK in mind. Oh well, I thought. It will be fine. We'll, I think that neon nailpolish aged my baby a good 10 years. She was so very concerned that the polish would rub off or wash off in the shower and then when it started to peel off, she asked if RaRa could paint them again! She was so excited to show her nails to Daddy and everyone she met for the next two days. It was very cute! She was even excited to have finger nails painted like her "sister Haylie!" (little did we know that Haylie had her toe nails painted the same exact color). (Melanie and Haylie call each other sisters, it is cute and what is amazing is that they have the same color eyes and hair - plus their hair is the same texture and has the same loose curls in the back! Carrie and I hope one day, they both will be sisters in Christ like Carrie and I! Another funny little quirk, for these only children - Sabine and Melanie call each other "brother!" I wonder what they are thinking!

Lynda turned 64 on Sunday and Melanie surprised her with a Disney Princess balloon and a trip to Disneyland. (Melanie just loves Cinderella and is being very patient with me as I make her a Cinderella dress - which I hope will be done before the trip!) Well, after dinner, we were having dessert and visiting on the front porch and Melanie and I took a walk around the neighborhood and she rode her scooter. The summer sun was setting and made for a nice warm effect, so I had to get a few shots of my little girl!

The balloon, the innocent balloon broke Melanie's heart! For the first time she experienced the hard reality of helium. The balloon came untied from the string and it floated away. She cried and cried the hugest crocodile tears I had ever seen. It was so sad, I nearly cried myself. We tried to comfort her with kind words and suggestions that the balloon was going to heaven, or visiting Toby, the cat or that people in the airplanes were going to see it now and nothing comforted her until RaRa said it would come back! Well, most kids would forget a comment like that, but not Melanie. The next morning, she immediatley asked RaRa if the ballon came back yet! That' s my girl with the incredible memory - I sure wish I had a memory. I am lucky if I can
remember what I said a few minutes ago - that whole mommy brain thing is really true. Do you get it back when the kids go to college, I wonder?