Happy 18th Birthday, Miranda!

Today our little girl legally becomes and adult in Alberta.

As I said in our card to her: “It doesn’t seem real to us that you’re already an adult. Not all that long ago you were a little crying ball in our arms.” And now she’s an adult. Wow!

Since we’re still following the COVID precautions, there was no party again this year. (Some year we will hold a birthday party for her in the summer.) Instead, it was up to her how she wanted to celebrate.

She had decided weeks ago that she didn’t want a cake, but a selection of cookies and bars plus some kind of Japanese food for her main meal. She put in her sweets wishlist:

• Meringues
• Madelines
• Peppermint Mocha cookies
• Banana cheesecake bars

The day started pretty early as we all stayed up to ring in the new year. She had a glass of sangria with us before going to bed. Then it was time for us to get to work decorating. It was a little difficult to do it in complete secrecy. I had gotten a series of stand up dinosaurs to put on the floor outside her bedroom door as well as some streamers to go around it and her presents hanging from the door frame. I got a balloon bouquet with a dinosaur theme and 18th birthday – these were going to be put outside her door as well, but Murph thought they were a little too interesting. 😄 There was also a banner in the dining room.

Our sleep was very interrupted with Alexa deciding to turn on Simon’s bedside lamp twice and his phone lighting up twice, so 7 a.m. came too early. We went downstairs and set up the cards and the balloons before I put together the blin batter for breakfast. She requested blin stuffed with ground pork or fruit and whipped cream for her breakfast.

We spoke to Baba and Grandpa at 9.00 and then Simon and I did our first virtual club ride of the year at 10.00. After that we had take out from Edo and started The Royal Tenenbaums, the first of many movies in her Wes Anderson movie-a-thon. Then came the time for her “cake”. You can’t see it clearly, but the candles said Happy 18 Birthday:

Throughout the afternoon, we snacked on cookies, popcorn, tea, and adult beverages (banana daiquiris and piña coladas – we didn’t get to fuzzy navels this time) while watching The French Dispatch and The Grand Budapest Hotel. We took mini-breaks in between – including this one. We’re gearing up for the final movie: The Darjeeling Limited.

It has been a very relaxed, but pleasant birthday thus far. As soon as I post this, we’ll be watching the final movie and who knows after that.

Happy 18th Birthday Miranda! We love you so much! 💚💜❤️🧡