SEVEN!!!

This isn't just a "Katie dancing" photo... this is "SEVEN YEAR OLD Katie dancing at her new ballet barre and mirror, in her new leotard on her birthday". Her seventh birthday.... my tiny little girl...... I'm not particularly ready to have a seven year old. Katie is incredibly ready to be a seven year old. She's stepped up in many ways already. Yet, in lots of ways, she's still a very little girl - a little girl who loves bedtime warm milk, who's favourite place to sleep is my arms, who needs a huge quantity of cuddles, who slips her hand in mine without thinking as we walk along, who has monkey firmly by her side through this journey of life. But on the other hand, she's an incredibly grown up little girl who thought of her own accord to look for gluten free products when she found out her cousin is coming for tea this weekend. Who spent a lot of time the last few weeks looking after her school friend (also her birthday buddy) who'd broken his arm- his TA mum came to thank me today. Who is a gorgeous and patient honourary big sister to our little friend that comes to visit a lot. Who saves almost all her own money up so she's got a pot of money for buying presents for other people. I couldn't be more proud of her. 

She's had a wonderful birthday. She woke up quite early and had a nice whatsapp conversation with B in Thailand. She was extremely excited to go into the lounge to find treat birthday breakfast laid out on the decorated breakfast table. She ate the biggest ever chunk of her favourite melon and a treat pot of Lucky Charms cereal. She opened a few presents and had a really long play in the bath as she'd asked for complicated birthday hair. We spent 45 minutes on her hair (a "worm" bun) and it did look rather stunning. She had new leotard for her birthday which I suggested she might like to try on. I then sent her to her bedroom "to look for pants" ready for getting dressed. She found her barre and mirror. The face was just fabulous. She couldn't contain herself. Without a thought, she exclaimed "a barre!!" as her hands reached for it and she did an instinctive plie. We got her ready for school after a little dancing - she was wearing rainbow tights, her best sparkly shoes, her worm bun hair and her beautiful new birthday badge. She bounced in to class full of all the joys a birthday girl should have! 

At her school, parents are allowed to join their children for lunch. I don't do it very often as she gets upset when I have to leave, but I always do for her birthday. This year though, we arranged that Lydia's mummy would also come too. We wanted to so that we could reveal a surprise we've planned. Because she's not having a proper birthday party, we've booked a little birthday mini-break and are taking Katie, Lydia & Ellie to Newcastle in half term to see Mary Poppins and stay in a hotel together. Lydia had said she really wanted to see when Katie found out because she thought "she might bounce and squeal and go crazy". It's exactly what she did! Lunch was lovely. We sat with Lydia & her mum, Katie's birthday buddy Ben and his mum then Katie's special little buddy Bobbins came and sat next to me half way through - it was her birthday yesterday so it was extra nice to see her. Katie did though break her heart as I left. As she was crying & clinging, her school music teacher came up to tell me how amazing she's doing on her clarinet in orchestra. That when she asks the clarinets how they're getting on, Katie knows exactly what she's doing & routinely helps the Year 6 boy she shares a desk with. It distracted her a little from the sobbing. 

I picked her up from school in the car and we headed straight to dance. She got changed in the car as she was super excited to wear her new leo and the new "hoody with thumb holes" that is one of her favourite presents. She loved all the birthday cuddles from the big girls & that the principal scooped her up and sang happy birthday to her as soon as she saw her. She worked really hard at her solos - they're looking gorgeous now & patiently helped her friend work on some bits of hers. Before we all headed out for birthday ice cream at the nearby gelateria. Our first visit. Absolutely definitely not our last. I mentioned that it was her birthday. She'd chosen m and ms and fudge sprinkles already for it, but her ice cream came out looking amazing with candles, happy birthday, whipped cream & rainbow sprinkles. The cafe all sang to her and she & her friends loved wiping up all the chocolate sauce writing with their fingers! An hour later three very bouncy friends stood in the middle of the street posing for photos, being delightful and having a crazy, sugar & chemical fuelled bouncy time. Katie loved it. 

Happiest and biggest and squishiest of happy birthday wishes to my beautiful, incredible, special Katie Moo. I love more than ever. So very very much. xxxxx 

Katie at 7 years: 
* has her first 6 year molar
* is size 11 shoe
* is 117 cm tall and weighs 20kg 
* has lost two teeth to the tooth fairy 
* doesnt believe in the tooth fairy or Santa 
* plays the Eb and Bb clarinets, the piano, the recorder and is learning the saxophone
* is working towards Grade 3 clarinet and Grade 2 piano
* is in Gold Aqua Skills at swimming 
* dances Grade 1 and 2 ballet, though they are only now getting around to taking their primary because of such a bigger summer show.
* has her beautiful first black class uniform leo waiting for after the exams, a birthday gift from her teacher 
* loves Tchaikovsky, John Williams, Chopin, Diabelli, Disney soundtracks
* is growing a love of swing and jazz music 
* hates bubble gum flavour ice cream