Cora's 6th Birthday!

Sweet little Cora is SIX years old!

She has blossomed right before our eyes!

Cora just has a magical presence.

Just look and see what I mean.

She had an oreo PIE on her pi day birthday!

Somehow she felt shy at this moment.

Not usual for her!

Our sweet neighbor came over after school on her birthday

to open presents with her and play.

These girls earned free Jersey Mike's 

through their academic excellence!

Free subs!

The weekend brought her BIRTHDAY PARTY!

We didn't really have a theme,

just FUN!

Mitchell helped me make a 

magical spread for the girls!

Everyone LOVED IT!

They played Keepy-uppy...

and more keepy-uppy...

Such an easy fun game!

We also did pass the parcel,

musical chairs, and

spot the smileys,

(where I hid about a hundred smiley faces 

around the house,

and the girls had to go find them!)

Parker even put one on his watch,

and Colette put one on her forehead!

We opened presents and had a fun movie night!

Plus ANOTHER birthday wish!

LUCKY!

The best part was cousin Addie spent the night!

Then we met up with Jack-Jack

 to play the next day.

It's hard to put into words 

what Cora brings into our family.

But I'll try.

Do you want to know her most adorable quality?

She asks and answers her own questions.

(Like I just did)

"Mom, do you want to know why I'm crying?

Because I got rained on all the way down from the bus stop!"

"Mom, do you want to know what show I'm watching?

Bluey, because it's my favorite!"

"Mom, what do I want for my birthday?

L.O.L. Dolls."

She melts every heart she meets.

Everyone is seen as her friend.

So many older women in our ward just adore her.

One even called on her birthday 

because she wanted

to spend time with her on her birthday.

She loves her grandmother 

and that's probably where this quality comes from.

She goes to grandma's more than any other kid

to play card games and just tell her about her day.

They are kindred spirits.

She loves school and learning.

She has been reprimanded for speaking

in a condescending tone 

to her fellow classmates.

Ha.

I told her teacher she thinks 

she is a 70 year-old woman.

That explained a lot.

Cora is always playing and imagining things.
A chore isn't a chore,

it's an adventure that only Cora is going on.

She is very often off in another world, 

you can just see it on her face.

Mitchell is her favorite pal 

that she loves to bring into her

imaginary worlds.

Maybe because he's much the same way.

Britta and her still share a room,

but she has now braved moving 

into the larger room in the basement.

She loves it!

No fear at all!

Here she is reading the car manual 

from the glove box!

She loves to read anything.

She finds any words she knows.

It makes her so excited 

to recognize her sight words.

I've had so many tender and 

special moments with Cora

where she has taught me how to be a better mom

and a better person in general.

She speaks her mind without filter,

in a way that people need to hear.

She is never afraid to give me feedback

when something I've done has hurt her feelings

or made her not want to obey me.

She shares herself so freely

With so much vulnerability

that you just have to listen 

and take her seriously.

And her ability to forgive and forget

is higher than any person I've ever met.

I learn a lot from her.

She is HILARIOUS!

She has a wit and wisdom beyond her 6 years.

I quickly put a movie in the van 

to just entertain the kids. 

It was Lego Movie 2.

Apparently she doesn't like that movie

because she said,

"Please say we are almost home 

so I don't have to watch this movie!"

I also walked into a conversation 

she and Mitchell were having:

"...my favorite numbers are 59 and 100..."

I just absolutely love kids,

and Cora is a real keeper!

She is the first to volunteer to help

at school,

at church,

and at home.

But she also has qualities that are 

much different than our other kids,

she is openly disobedient.

Not in a rebellious way,

but in a 

"you told me to put this away 

but I'm just not done with it,"

kind of way.

She sneaks her tablet to watch Bluey instead of going to bed.

And purposefully does things that 

she KNOWS will get her into trouble, 

because she has weighed out the consequences

and feels it would be worth the risk.

Now this isn't anything vicious, 

and she isn't making major infractions

to our family constitution or anything,

but I'm hoping what this quality does for her in life,

is that when she sets her mind to do something,

she will choose to follow through regardless.

It's the kind of gumption 

that makes her stand up for herself,

in front of older kids and siblings 

that every one else is afraid of.

It really kind of is a good thing.

I'm choosing to help her see it can be a good thing.

Time will tell.

Year after year she becomes more special to us all.

I truly don't know what our family would be like

without her sweet smile coming to greet me

every morning and hugging me so tightly every night before bed.

Cora we love you!