Five! (and other updates)

You guys, Cora turned five on Monday. Her birthday is 11.12.2013 and Monday was 11.12.2018, so the math checks out.

My heart, frankly, says otherwise.

The day she joined our family was one of my favorites ever. I got to hold her immediately, my only baby I got to hold for her whole first few hours of life. We were so relaxed, so joyful, so happy to be our family of five. Her first year was truly one of the happiest of my life.

If there's anything that comforts me as she insists on aging, it's knowing that all four of us squeezed every bit of joy out of those early years with our baby Cora that we possibly could.

Her party was on Saturday.

As I noted in my last post, my throat was firey, but I was in denial and I stayed there until 1 hour after her party officially ended. Then I crashed hard and ended up in urgent care with a diagnosis of strep throat. I felt terrible- both because I actually felt TERRIBLE and also because I really did think I was doing better when I clearly should have been quarantined. The good news is, it's been five days and no one who attended has gotten sick. Fingers crossed.

Because Cora is our only baby who doesn't have a summer birthday, we have to extend ourselves beyond the pool party. Luckily, our yard has room for a little bit more fun.

Less luckily we forgot to remind the early guests that the middle of the yard is a covered pool and not a trampoline and two kids ran right out on it. One got a little wet; the other ended up exchanging her sopping wet clothes for a full set of Cora's right down to some new princess panties and furry boots. She rolled with it and her stuff was dry when it was time to leave.

I may have been talking as little as possible, but Cora had the BEST time.

We ended up with a fifteen or so kids over? The bounce house was total chaos, but there were minimal crashes and the kids rotated in and out pretty well.

We also got out a bunch of our wheeled vehicles on the driveway. (And then I remembered to close the driveway gate as one kid took off for the open road to freedom.) I always underestimate how amazing and fun another kid's toy can be. They had a blast.

I had snacks- some of which I forgot to put out until the end (how did I not realize I was sick?), and hot mulled wine that was very popular for the adults.

Then it was time for cake! Cora opted for "CHOCOLATE. Chocolate with chocolate." Costco makes one of those so I didn't have to. I added some Elena candles and a giant 5 attached to a toothpick just to pierce my heart, and she was thrilled.

She even allowed her friends to sing to her this year!

The big kids, who had been banned from the bounce house for the bulk of the party, emerged from wherever they were causing mischief with their friends, and caused mischief more openly.

Soon after the unicorn came out, my throat swelled shut, I got a fever, and I was driving to Urgent Care. There are no further pictures.

On Sunday the big kids still had a swim meet, so James took them there. Cora had a birthday party and I fever-dream-texted a friend to see if Cora could ride along with them. I slept on and off for EIGHT HOURS, freaking out everyone in the house including me. James and the big kids came home. Cora got picked out by her little friend's kindly grandmother. Clothes were washed and folded, food was made and cleared, children were happy and cared for- I was only semi-conscious but I never love James more than when I'm reminded that I can exit our life to drool on the couch and he'll just pick up my share along with his and carry on, feeling my forehead and bringing me water every few hours.

Monday was Cora's actual birthday. I rallied enough to find her gifts I'd hidden in random places around our room and James decorated the table Sunday night. Cora woke up and put back on her Princess Elena dress and hopped into our room asking if she could see the table. I dragged myself out of bed and stayed out of the camera frame. Presents were opened and big siblings were on hand to help.

The traditional animal candles were blown out and Cora asked one more time if she could be six or seven, but resigned herself to a year of five with good cheer.

After mastering two wheels with Claire's hand-me-down, she got a new big girl bike from my grandparents!

She got a new sweater dress ensemble from Gigi, with matching pink "fancy shoes," so those were put on IMMEDIATELY.

Rounding out the gifts were much anticipated rainbow dash rain boots from my brother, an art kit from my parents, an Elena nightgown from us, and colorful hair extensions from James because Cora asks him to put in her "Disney braids" every morning and they look atrocious. She was pretty delighted by the new ones and wore those to school too.

The big kids went off to school at 7:35 and then James took Cora out for the traditional birthday donut with dad. I was off work for Veterans Day and had big plans of errands and productivity but found myself back on the couch, falling in and out of sleep for the next several hours. At 2:10 I was getting up to take a shower because I was picking the kids up from school at 2:55 but then somehow I fell BACK ASLEEP and woke up at 3:15 in snowflake pj pants, old hoodie sweatshirt, no bra, and lots of panic because there's something I SHOULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW.

Luckily (?) it was freezing outside (literally) so the school did an inside dismissal which takes FOREVER so there was still a line when I pulled up, in my snonwflake pants, to the carpool line I had never before entered. The kids loved my outfit, I sent them in to get Cora (big kids are so handy), and once we were back home I rallied, showered, and packed the kids for our trip.

Packing cubes are my love language and coordinating colors are my joy.

I went back to work on Tuesday, the kids went to school and then to the dentist. Cora thought this was another birthday present and who am I to tell her otherwise?

Now it's Wednesday (right? it's been a weird week) and my antibiotics have worked their magic, I'm able to stay awake for long stretches of time, I've re-confirmed all our plans and reservations, and I'm totally ignoring the 100% chance of rain every day we're in Costa Rica. I'm doing Career Day at the kids' school tomorrow, then teaching barre, and then packing myself, and then we're OFF Friday morning. Adventure and rainbow luggage await.