Seven wonderful years

There’s been a lot going on in the last week.  Between the finger stuck in a water bottle, moving upstairs, Songkran, and all the rest, it’s been an interesting break.  On top of that, we had a 7th Birthday yesterday and that was a TON of fun.  

The question of the year, though, was what to gift a new 7 year old when we have to plan on packing and moving her across the world in 80ish days.  

Well, Kiddo had a want and it was the most perfect and easiest suggestion in the world.

It started with a lunch at The Pancake House.  Now, if you don’t know Kiddo, I can tell you that she would pick pancakes over almost any meal.  Tacos might be the only thing that she would pick that wasn’t pancakes.  It was good.  Filling.  Tasty.  We all enjoyed.  After that, the real excitement began.

Yup… That happened!

She wanted earrings, so we took her to get her ears pierced.  She was so tough and brave and at the end she was beyond ecstatic.  She’s also, now, already plotting on getting new earrings (just like Mumma) when we are traveling this summer.  

After that, we headed home and just had a birthday.  She got to do wizard potions and play with J and myself.  I mostly did dinner prep and J just kind of sat and let Kiddo be Kiddo and she invented potions.  Basically food coloring and water and oil and vinegar and baking soda.  Different combos for different potions.  We got a talk to animals potion, a heal everything potion, an instant travel potion, an everyday if a birthday potion… It was a hoot!

Kiddo got to pick her dinner wants and after that, we had cupcakes.  One Red Velvet and One Sprinkle Birthday Cake kinds.  Naturally, Kiddo wanted half of each.  Yeah, I can make that happen.

As you can see, she had a blast and had a great day.

Today, she is out as J and I start making lists and taking pics of our salable items.   She is at HarborLand with Nanny Beer and a few of her Thai friends from school.  She gets to show off her new earrings and run herself into a solid sleep tonight.  Call that a parent win.  LOL

Speaking on Nanny Beer and Kiddo…..

On Tuesday, we also had Beer come.  She was coming so that Kiddo could play (change of pace from J and myself) and also so we could go and do more Summer Planning, getting flights and getting the OK on flights to Shanghai so we can finalize all of that.  During that time, we had the maid, so Kiddo and Beer headed out for an hour to give the maid space and time to clean.  J and I found cafe.

I poked Beer to let her know the maid was gone since I had the front desk alert me.  Beer apologized that she had lost the keycard for our new place.  No problem, just get a new one from the desk.  She then relayed to us that she had lost, not just the keycard, but the whole purse.

Thankfully, she found it.  She had slipped it off at the market and then walked away before reshouldering it.  They walked back their steps and the good folks at the market had seen it happen and had pulled the purse behind the counter to give back to Beer.  So, it was a 10 minute panic of lost purse, but it all worked out in the end.

I bring this up because of this….

Yeah!  Kiddo offered Nanny Beer her Piggy (bird) bank and all of her money (baht) to help Beer since her purse was lost.  

I just can’t.  I don’t have words.  She is just so sincere and kind and willing to help the people in her life anyway she can.  It is just so kind.  So gracious.  So unselfish.  So love.  We try to show Kiddo it’s not about what you own, but who you have in your life.  It’s not about money, but about kindness.  We care for each other, we care for the people in our lives, we invite friends to share meals and our table.  We share soup with Beer, since Beer loves soup.  We don’t look to others to see if they have more than us, we look to others to make sure they have something.  We don’t take from those with more, but we give to those with less and we help our friends.  I mean…. How did we get her?  

Yes, some days are hard and sometimes she is Kiddo and in a meltdown Weeping Beauty mode, but 90% of the time, this is her.  Sincere, kind, generous, and willing to help those who are in her life.

We’ve spent 7 years trying to show her goodness.  Kindness.  Generosity.  Caring.  Humanity.  Funny, that most of my life, certainly my whole adult life, I was teased and it was joked that I’m a heathen.  I’d mention my deism or atheism and get asked what keeps me from just murdering people.  I don’t need a god to keep me in line, I have a moral compass and believe in society; Therefore, since I don’t like to be killed, I’ll just NOT kill people.  Would I want someone to offer me assistance if I lost a purse or bag… Yup.  So, I offer that help to people.  It’s not about Jesus, or Buddha, or Allah, or whatever god you or others might believe in.  It’s about actually treating others as you want to be treated.  I and we may not believe in your god or gods, but we do believe in kindness, goodness, and giving as good as you get and getting as good as you give.  I’ve also been known to say; I don’t keep score, that’s karma’s job.  It all works out in the end.

Seeing that in Kiddo, hearing that she offered Beer that… J and I both praised her.  Thanked her.  Told her how proud we are of her and how that was a very VERY grown up thing to do.  How that is how we wished everyone lived and acted and that we hoped that she always took care of the good people in her life that way.

Seven years ago, we look at each other nervously as we changed a first diaper or held her and fed her alone for the first times.  As we woke and fed her.  Loved her.  It’s been 7 years of losing sleep some nights, worrying about illnesses, frustrated with a kid, proud of a kid, loving a kid, teaching with kindness and patience.  It’s been a mountain to climb and then another and another, some days are about 10 mountains all on there own.  Looking back those years and I’d not trade a moment.  Because that would mean missing this moment.  Missing this person.  Missing Kiddo.  Because without all of those days, she wouldn’t be the Kiddo we have today.  Full of life and love and passion and fire and confidence and everything else in between.  

We’ve spent 7 years with our most wonderful thing and we’ve had so many adventures with so many more to come.  Ours is not a typical situation.  There is nothing usual about this life and adventure we are on, but we’d not have it any other way.  We’ve stepped away from those who wanted to control us, harm us, use us, manipulate us, or just spout their hate at us.  Instead, we adventure.  Explore.  And raise a Kiddo to be the best and most Kiddo she can be.  

Ya know what…. I’d say we are doing a damned fine job.

Let’s go, Kiddo… you are a year older.  You have earrings now.  You are better than the best and we can’t stop loving you.  Keep being you and know we are along for the ride.  We’ve got your back and will always be there, even when you are 8 and 9 and 10 and in Cooooollllllllege!!!!!  We love you and can’t wait for the next year and adventures we get to have.

PS.  We saw THIS!!!!  WOW!