Riley is Five!

I can't believe my little girl is five years old. And I can't believe how much I feel like my Dad when I say that. If he were here to tell me that he remembers when they first laid me in his arms, and how I just stared up at him and didn't cry, this time I wouldn't respond "Oh Dad" as I rolled my eyes. Because I get it now. All those details I remember about the night we met Riley for the first time do not seem like they happened five years ago!

But enough of my gushing. Riley's birthday was on a Wednesday, but we stretched the celebrations out long enough to make some of my sisters proud. Scot's parents were in town the previous weekend, and that Sunday we had some extended family over for dinner. There were three people there that night with birthdays within a week of each other. So naturally we called it a birthday dinner, and convinced Riley that the chocolate-covered strawberries that Aunt Carol brought were especially for her, since strawberries are one of her favorite foods. I didn't take many pictures that night, but here's Tyson covered in that same treat.

On her actual birthday, we met Jessica and her kids at the zoo. Because it was her birthday, Riley got in free, and got a special elephant birthday pin. I'd love to share more details, but the zoo is the zoo, right?

For dinner that night, Riley requested homemade pizza. For several weeks leading up to her birthday, she was also making birthday cake requests. But each time she requested a different cake. A couple of times she even requested two cakes, a Princess cake for herself, and a Cars cake that the boys would appreciate. Finally I told her that I was going to make her a surprise birthday cake that I knew she would love, and I was no longer taking requests. When it was time to decorate the cake we sent the kids downstairs to play.

Here is the finished cake:

We sat Riley down at the table and made her close her eyes for the big reveal. Fortunately I was right: she loved it! 

We used a real Belle doll, which was one of her birthday gifts, and a gotta say, Riley was surprised and I think a little freaked out when we pulled the doll out to serve the cake and out came a pair of naked legs!

Preschool was out for Spring Break the week of her birthday, so her class sang to her and made her a special birthday crown the following week.

Riley is in the 91st percentile for height now, and 31st for weight. Up from 79 and 27 last year. Scot and I wonder if she'll be taller than both her brothers when they're adults.

We snuggled together in Riley's bed that night, and because it was her fifth birthday, I spent five minutes telling Riley things that I love about her. I'll share a few of them here:

• Even though we don't have the same DNA, we do have a lot in common. I love that she likes to have a place for everything. She is pretty good about keeping her room clean and her toys put away when she knows where everything should be.

• Riley learned to read last summer, and while it was a struggle sometimes, she loves reading now. She also loves being read to. This makes me so happy, since reading is one of my favorite things. Every night in bed, she reads a book to me, and then I read a chapter to her. Right now we're working our way through the Ramona books. I think we'll do the Little House series next.

• She is very compassionate. She looks out for her friends and her brothers and wants everyone to be happy. I was the type of kid that would cry if I saw someone else getting picked on. Riley would feel empathy for them too, but I suspect she'd walk right up to the bully and tell them to cut it out.

• She is so friendly and outgoing. That's one thing that is definitely not like me, but I'm becoming better through her example. Anytime we go to a place where there are other kids, a park, the library, a fast-food play area, the nursery at the gym, Riley leaves with a new friend. Just today she made a friend named Savannah at the park. Her approach this morning was, "Hi. My name's Riley. Do you want to play with me?" She just makes it look so easy.

• Riley isn't afraid to share her talents. Last fall she sang a solo in front of the whole congregation at church. When she was walking up to the pulpit I was so nervous for her, I felt like throwing up. But she had a smile on her face the whole time. She told Scot and I afterward that she was a little nervous, but "I just pushed all the nervous into my hands. Then my hands were shivering a little bit so I just held on to the pulpit really tight." Riley has also memorized a couple of scripture verses, and loves when she gets the opportunity to share them in Primary.

• She is such a helpful girl. I can always count on her to help out the boys if I've got my hands full. She does a good job of looking out for them. She is in charge of feeding the dog every day, and she has several other chores around the house. She is usually great about doing them without complaint, and often when she sees me working, she'll ask, "What can I do for you, Mom?"

What would I do without her? I am grateful every day that it was God's plan for Riley to be in our family, and equally as grateful to her birth parents for allowing that plan to happen.