Friday, July 13, 2012

elphine turns ten

Elphine turns 10 today and has been up since 4:30. She is the one child that sleeps till at least 8am, sometimes 9. It breaks my heart to find her banging around singing and smashing up the general peace and its not even 7 yet.

Matt looked reproachfully at me just now as I screamed for the seventh time, "stop kicking me in the head! If you can't be still go back to bed!"
and whispered, "when I was a child and woke up at four on my birthday my mother got up with me and gave me whatever I wanted."
"Well she's not here is she!" I gurgled in despair.

Now, at least, I've had that vital first cup of oolong and can begin to emerge from the shattered recesses of sleep. After I post this I have to begin to shove us in the car to go up to a small lake for the day. I've made what looks to be awfully like Hot Pockets but they taste a lot nicer. "Call them Satchels" said Matt, ever helpful. Ham, Cheese and Potato, Pepperoni and Cheese, Ham and Tomato. And then a lot of little tiny fruit pie bites--blueberry and nectarine.

"We need to make brownies," said Elphine surveying the vast array of bread and pie after we had put everything away.
"!! What!?" I said.

She's being given a bike and some dishes and a black skirt and shawl (! I know, I have no idea!). Yet again she goes without An Old Fashioned Doll because none of us can figure out what she means and sort out a way to acquire such an object.

And now, if I don't arise, there will be no hope for my child and I will loose my mind. Pip Pip.

12 comments:

Leigh said...

Pip, pip, Cheerio and happy birthday, Elphine!

Lucky girl to have such a wonderful mom, making "satchels" and not tossing her bodily out of bed for the head-kicking...birthday or not!

Love reading your blog!

At A Hen's Pace said...

Happy Birthday to Elphine! You remind me that my own sweet daughter turns ten in just a matter of weeks, and I have not yet taught her to make brownies. Must remedy soon.

Blessings!

~Jeanne

Silue K and P said...

I didn't know that Elphine shares a birthday with me (shhh-- hers began a full half-century after mine!) Happy birthday Elphine! Hope the time at the lake was really fun. (Linn, Ferke -- alias Silue Penyuonekuo)

eulogos said...

Would one of the American Girl dolls do? I would have loved to buy the one in a fancy 1800's costume for my granddaughter, but no, she wanted the 1970's doll!

Shawn Kennedy said...

Happy 10th birthday sweet Emma! ! you are in our hearts today and we wish we were there to celebrate too. I left a message on the phone and we will try to reach you again. We love you soooooo much, Mimi and Boppy

Joyce Carlson said...

Exactly what Shawn said: I left a message saying "Happy birthday dearest E", and "missing you tremenjusly" "and may every day be better than the last". Tons of love, but since I'm in the U.K. at this very minute, maybe I should say, "tonnes of love". xoxoxoxoxo ME (so SAD not to be there)

Julie said...

Today when I was browsing at Goodwill, I found what HAS to be the best example of an "old-fashioned doll." There were two of them, actually, and they were about 3 feet tall, porcelain-looking, wearing old-fashioned dresses with all of the bygone era undergarments and hats.

I immediately thought of Elphine and would have purchased one of them to send to y'all if they were for sale in the normal fashion but they weren't, grrrr. They're doing some sort of silent auction with them.

BUT if this sounds like the type of doll she has been wanting, please let me know and I can bid/keep an eye on the auction. I would be happy to try to procure one of them for Elphine.

Anne said...

Hi Julie, they sound gorgeous and lovely. If one was absolutely very not too expensive.

Julie said...

I believe that these silent auctions end on Saturday so I will go and check. If the price is reasonable, I will bid and see what happens!

This particular Goodwill gets some really good items. On that trip, I bought a set of Wilton silicone bakeware still in the box for $1.99! They price things very low so, unless there's a segment of the community clamoring for "old-fashioned dolls" and willing to engage in a bidding battle over them, I have a chance.

Fingers crossed! I'll let you know either way! If successful, the doll will be my treat. I never had a little girl for whom to buy a doll so it would make me happy.

Julie said...

Unfortunately, the dolls were out of my range. :( Perhaps they are antiques and someone recognized that? I know nothing about dolls except these were definitely "old-fashioned!"

I will continue to keep an eye out. I love browsing second-hand stores for bargains and treasures when I'm able!

Anne said...

Hi Julie,
It was lovely of you to try! I can't imagine browsing through any kind of shop right now. I praise God every day for Amazon and so on.

Julie said...

Hi Anne,
Isn't it funny how a blog can cause you to consider someone you've never met in the course of a day as if it's the most natural thing in the world?

I love reading about you and yours and look forward to new installments. So when I happened upon these dolls, I immediately thought that this was probably what Elphine had in mind, as if I knew her! I still wish I could have just purchased one outright, bah. But they were smart in auctioning them -- they made a whole lot more money.

I do my share of Internet shopping for modern essentials but I enjoy finding "old-fashioned" treasures. :)

Blessings on you and Elphine!