Trinity's Birthday

Nine years ago today I gave birth to a nine pound, one ounce bundle of beauty. There were a few phrases that we could count on each person declaring when saw our sweet Trinity Rose: “Look at all of that dark hair!” “Oh, those long fingers will be perfect for playing piano/ rock climbing/ volleyball...” and most of all, “Those eyes!!” Trinity was born with huge dark saucers that were so full that there was no white even visible. She was absolutely stunning to behold. On every outing people would declare how much she looked like a china doll - perfectly smooth, porcelain skin, cute little button features, and those eyes.

Trinity had the personality to match her angelic looks - pleasant, content, sweet. I recall a friend commenting that he didn’t think he ever heard her cry in her first year. Of course that was far from the truth, but her cry, like the rest of her, was soft and sweet.


She was our gift from the Creator (i.e. the Trinity) who was bestowing his great grace on us after so much uncertainty if pregnancy would ever be an option. The moment that we discovered that we were pregnant with her will always remain the most joyful of my life.

Nine years later and my joy over Trinity continues. No longer quiet and reserved, she bubbles over with enthusiasm, energy, and humor. She is filled with a spirit of adventure, always looking for a tree to climb, a new trail to explore, a place to dance, and a mall to shop! Her mind is inquisitive; she loves nothing more than to ask her dad questions about space, geology, or science - usually at bedtime.


At nine, Trin is in that middle land between childhood and the teens years. Pop culture and style is becoming increasingly important to her; yet she still plays dress up with her sister, does what she can to pester her brother, and snuggles with her mom (may that never stop!). It is my prayer that Trinity will come to truly believe and embrace her position as a daughter of the King, that she will see herself as the beautiful, amazing person she is.

Happy birthday, Trinity Rose! I love you so much!

What memories do you have of Trinity's first nine years?

Kid Interview

Over on Facebook, there is a trend to put up all sorts of notes - "25 Random Facts About Me", "High School Memories", etc. This one I thought was especially fun, so I thought I'd put it here for the two of you who are not on Facebook (and should be). I interviewed Trinity & Connor about their most beloved mom.

ages:
Trinity - 8
Connor - 6

1. What is something mom always says to you?
T - "Get your coats, bags, & lunch boxes out of the car!"
C - "Go pick up your room."

2. What makes mom happy?
T - when kids make stuff for you
C - Valentine's Day cards from your kids

3. What makes mom sad?
T - when Fiona has a poopy diaper (uncontrollable laughter)
C - disobeying you or punching you in the face or kicking you [note from the mom: my kids have not ever actually punched me in the face]

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
T - she tickles me
C - tickles

5. What was your mom like as a child?
T - always got Jeff in trouble
C - the best kid in her family!

6. How old is your mom?
T - 36
C - 36

7. How tall is your mom?
T - As tall as that lamp, no...about as tall as the t.v. At least five feet?
C - Ten feet.

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
T - doing crosswords with Grammy (Connor's response to that: How is that one of her favorite things to do? She HAS to do that. Grammy doesn't know all the answers.)
C - spending time with her kids

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
T - watching Dora with Fiona
C - spend time with Fiona; I have no idea, cause I'm not there!

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
T - a supermodel
C - being rich
[mom note: I love my kids!]

11. What is your mom really good at?
T - cooking, typing on the computer, and crosswords
C - playing with her kids

12. What is your mom not very good at?
T - I don't know! Driving - I'm just kidding; you're not good at talking to people - I'm just kidding
C - beating me

13. What does your mom do for a job?
T - play therapy
C - a long time ago she worked for the church

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
T - chocolate
C - pizza

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
T - when you help us clean our room and your room
C - when you lift something heavy

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
T - a monster - I'm just kidding! a mom with big eyes
C - Spongebob

17. What do you and your mom do together?
T - paint pottery, go to the movie theater
C - go to the donut shop (but we've only done that once)

18. How are you and your mom the same?
T - we're both girls
C - we both have sixes in our age

19. How are you and your mom different?
T - we look different; your hair is darker, you have brown eyes, ears pierced, a scratch on your forehead, and freckles and you're much, much bigger than me
C - I paint and draw more than you

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
T - I came out of your stomach, what do you think?
C - that's what I was going to say!

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
T - he's a Christian
C - that he's an artist

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
T - Grammy's house
C - Uncle Jeff's house

Fill in the Oval Completely...

I really want to tell you all about my trip to New York last week, but I'll need to get back to that soon.

Today Trinity and I had a great conversation about national politics. It is a topic that I'm sure she overhears her parents talking about in car rides and at the dinner table more than she cares about or understands. Up until now, she has told me that she would like "the girl" to win the presidency. There's now a story circulating that the dad of one of her classmates was fired by "the girl" for "no good reason", so she wouldn't vote for her because "she's mean" (I'm not sure what that's about, but isn't that how politics goes?). I think there are a few others in the country who might agree with her assessment.

She asked me to find her the names of all of the Presidents from history, so we started with George and ended with our current George. We picked out the ones who were related, and we talked about some of the more prominent stories, including the assassinations of JFK, MLK, & Robert Kennedy. After we finished the list, she asked with a quizzical look, "Are they all men?" Why, yes, my dear, they are. We talked about how important this election is because there is a woman candidate and a black candidate (we also talked about the great war hero that McCain is).

As a woman in a male-dominated industry (religion), I empathize with the trailblazing battle in which Hillary has placed herself. Whether or not I agree with her, will vote for her, or if I think she is a mean girl, she has helped changed this country. There have been many, many excellent female leaders on the world stage throughout history, from Deborah and Esther to Margaret Thatcher and Golda Meir. Many countries, even those which are more conservative and traditional, such as India, Ukraine, & The Phillipines, have great women leaders in place. I am so pleased that my daughter will live in a time when she can truly consider herself a viable option for a leadership position - whether in business or for her country.

Tuesday is election day in Oregon. Get your ballot, spend a few minutes here, and get it turned in here. These things really matter. We have been blessed beyond measure to be in a country where each individual - man and woman, white, black, or other - has a voice. In honor of all those people around the world who are kept silent by their government, vote today.

Update: I took Trinity with me to turn in our ballots at 7:50 p.m. (yes, I turn in my taxes in April, too). The library was abuzz with happy people and high energy.

Obama must have read my post. From tonight's speech: "Sen. Clinton has shattered myths and broken barriers and changed the America in which my daughters and yours will come of age." That's what I said.

My Girls

Growing Up

I don't know if there are many things much more frightening than the realization that your children are growing older. Today I get to be concerned about kids running in the street or eating too much candy or, even worse, something toxic. Then I am reminded about tomorrow. Not tomorrow, tomorrow, but you know, the tomorrows down the road. Dating, driving, committing to Christ, fashion, eating disorders, sports - all those major milestones and hurdles to encounter in the next decade or so are enough to cause a little parental panic attack.

This evening Trinity asked me this: Mom, how come boys have so much more than girls? Because boys are physically stronger than girls and they "usually get to drive" and they "get to fight in wars", she is seeing, for the first time maybe, that there is inequality, even in our corner of the world. Don't worry - this mama wouldn't let that one go unaddressed! As well as assuring her that girls are as intelligent and talented as the guys and that we get the greatest gift of having babies, I used this opportunity to share with her about feminine power - and the need to use our influence over guys for good! That got her giggling up a storm.

Then a little while later she asked me how she has daddy's germs (i.e. genes) inside of her. Do you understand what she is asking me??? I won't go into details about what I told her on this rated G site, but she's got a nice head start on her junior high health class.

It's scary being responsible for all this big stuff, but now that I've taken a deep breath and counted to ten, I can remember that there is a reason why our babies aren't born as teenagers - so we can do this growing up thing together.

Beautiful Day at the Park