A Fifth Birthday

Last week Rosie turned 5.  Rosie is very much a middle child (in a family of 10, there can be several "middles").  Rosie was our spoiled and doted on baby.  She was everything a baby girl should have been--chubby, darling, and precocious.  Then came Legolas, with all of his elfkin antics to steal our hearts, and keep us running to keep him safe.  Then Eowyn was born...and my hands were doubly full, and Rosie was bumped up another rung on the totem pole.

It's not like you stop adoring your chubby toddlers--far from it--but with two younger siblings, that, say, three-year-old is going to have to do a bit of growing.  Rosie became a little jealous and a little clingy-needy.  So, we give Rosie some special attention.  And for her fifth birthday, this special big sister (/little sister) got a very special bicycle.  It is light blue (not pink), with ribbons on the handlebars and training wheels.  A big girl bike, importantly bigger than Legolas' little Lightning McQueen bike with training wheels.

And...because it is spring, and because Rosie has a special relationship with her biggest sister Arwen, and because it just seemed right, we surprised Rosie with a very special present.

meet "Coconut", a mini-Holland Lop

  Arwen has been wanting one too, and Rosie would need help taking good care of her pet, so we got two, and the girls will work together to care for them.

and this is "Alfalfa", in the box on the way home

So Rosie is now officially a big girl, with a pet bunny of her very own to take care of with her big sister Arwen.  It was a very happy birthday indeed!