Sometimes you have to stop and take stock. Really stop and look and put it altogether. Something has been niggling me all week and then I realised, 10 years is a very long time, I needed to take stock of the fact my eldest is turning 10. It was emotional putting this together, seeing the pictures of my Mum stop between 4 and 5, and looking back at all those precious happy times with my little ones makes me wish I could have some of them all over again. But, the joy of kids is never knowing where they are heading next, and the constant unravelling and unfurling of amazing new stuff. Fishing these out made me realise the people and places she has encountered already are vast.
Looking back some of the years the jumps seem bigger than others, 4-5 seems huge for some reason, as does 8-9, but the baby years had to be the most dramatic, although all that seems so far away now. But 10 seems like the gateway to a whole new set of adventures.
My daughter fills my life with smiles and happiness, with kindness and thoughtfulness and with fearlessness, creativity and joy. Each day there are new gifts and I’m finally slowing down to appreciate them once more, being in the last year of my thirties makes me realise what turning points decades in our lives are. I’m really blown away to have a 10 year old. Double figures really are special. I don’t always mark milestones here, but sometimes they are too big to miss.
I think she’s pretty special but recently lots of people I dearly love have told me that too, how kind, thoughtful and quick to think of others she is, how creative and original. It makes my heart explode with happiness to hear that.
Happy Birthday L, 10 amazing years! We are so incredibly proud of you, you are awesome and adorable in equal measure. Looking forward to getting thrashed at laser quest and hoping you love your Bae Box subscription. May you keep smashing gender stereotypes, and keep being happy being you.
What a lovely post and tribute to your beautiful girl. Happy birthday! Xxx
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Thank you so much Bonita xx
A lovely post! My eldest is ten in December and I simply cannot wrap my head around the idea. Your daughter is gorgeous and I hope she has a brilliant birthday 🙂
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Aw Chloe, thank you! It’s a leap isn’t it, I think she grew up under my nose this weekend! Have a great time when your daughter’s 10th comes along!
Ten does feel big. To them as well, and they seem to leap forward in emotional maturity from then onwards. This is such a lovely post; I never do birthday posts, but I know lots of people do, and I’m feeling the need to write one this year, probably because of the move to secondary school. You’ve done an amazing job Penny, and it doesn’t surprise me one bit that she is the girl that she is 🙂
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Helen, you just brought a tear to my eye, thank you - it’s lovely being two years behind you and Maddie and seeing how you do it!
Aww! Happy birthday big girl! My eldest is almost 14 and it has flown by! xx
I love the idea of putting these photos together like this. When you’re living it, you don’t notice the changes. You do need to take a step back sometimes.