Maya's 11th birthday

Okay...

I have a couple of issues with this whole 11th birthday deal.

First of all...

how in the world has it been ELEVEN years

since my baby girl was born?!?!?!

How is that even possible?

And second,

as crazy as it seems to me

that Mylee is eleven,

there is a disconnect with that number for me.

Anyone who has ever spent any time with this child

knows she is much older than eleven...

Honestly, eleven seems young to me when I think of it

in terms of Maya.

She's at least fifteen.

It's all very difficult...

I don't want it to happen too quickly,

and it is...it's zipping by 

and no matter how hard I try to hang onto it,

it is flying through my fingers.

On the other hand,

I love our beautiful, mature, sweet, intelligent,

wonderful daughter,

and enjoy so much the young woman she has become.

I'm her mom.

I'm allowed all this mushiness. :)

This is how Maya's day went:

First, we went to the pool

where she and Scott swam laps for 45 minutes.

Maya didn't want to get up and go,

but later confessed that it felt pretty good to work out.

When we got home,

I made chocolate, chocolate chip muffins

for breakfast.

Maya's choice. :)

Maya made a wish,

then got a birthday cuddle from her brother,

who made a joke,

(gross, of course, about passing gas)

that made Maya laugh out loud.

Oh...little brothers. :)

We met our friends, the McKeands,

for lunch at North Cary Park.

Dylan was a student in my first

Writing Workshop.

He and Maya became fast friends,

and were astonished to find 

that he and Maya share a birthday.

Pretty cool!

Dylan's pretty awesome.

He and Maya are so much alike,

and she really likes spending time with him.

After a leisurely afternoon back at the house,

we ordered Domino's Pizza,

(again, Maya's choice)

and we rented "Sherlock Holmes".

Trevor hung out with us,

ate pizza and watched the movie.

Then it was time for cake!

Here's Thing Two waiting for a slice.

Maya got some fun gifts this year.

She scored a new cd player with an iPod

dock and speakers from Steven, Scott and I.

(It has a headphone jack, but she has yet to use it.)

:)

She asked mostly for money,

and received nearly $150.00.

She and I did some pretty serious shopping

over the weekend.

She bought some great boots,

and they're big enough to fit me!

Hmmmm...I may be borrowing them

come this fall.

They are waaaaay cute.

She says she had a great birthday.

It was pretty laid back,

and in her opinion,

more grown up.

Thank you to everyone

who sent her well wishes on her special day.

Oh, my girl...

we are so blessed.

I'm convinced she's the smartest,

sweetest most wonderful girl

on the face of the earth...

and I'm so glad that she is ours.