One of my favorite things about Laina is that she is very much her age. Sometimes we have eight year olds who want to be fourteen and sometimes we have eight year olds who act like they’re four.
Laina was not thrilled about turning eight on Sunday. She wanted to stay seven, but agreed to turn eight in exchange for gifts. She began her year as an eight year old with her very first trail ride that her horse instructor had arranged last minute. When I asked her what it was like she smiled big and said, “it was like…going to Fantasyland…” That child enjoys life. She’s happy. Plain and simple. And her happiness makes other people happy.
Here I’ve been putting on dog and pony shows my whole life to try to get people to smile when all I had to be was contagiously happy and adorable.
Okay so that’s not really in me, but I love seeing it in her!
Okay UNLESS you force her to get a flu shot, promise it won’t hurt and then when it DOES hurt you take her to a buffet and encourage her to refill her own drink and the pop machine explodes in her face.
She might have a problem with that…nobody’s perfect!
Happy Birthday Laina!
You turned three.
You turned four.
You turned five.
You turned six.
You turned seven.
Tamara (DGMommy) says
Happy Birthday to her!!!!! So sweet. I like the pictures and may borrow that theme. My little girl turns 8 THIS Sunday! I can’t believe I’ve been a mom for 8 years already.
Kat says
We’re practically twins.
I always have fun building on that little collage. And I think it’s fun for readers to see who maybe haven’t been following along the whole time. You should do it!
Darcy says
Oh happy birthday, Laina!
Jen says
Pop machines exploding in your face?! I say that’s like the best present ever… Maybe.
Anyway, I hope she had a great birthday.
Kat says
She wasn’t too thrilled, but now I know what to surprise you with next time I see you!
Innocent says
Just bought it, and cant wait to read it. I tend to buy a bunch of books and setrios to read then in no specific order, unless is a series. So I will read this one between books. The reviews got me more than interested. I promise to let you know what I think of it. Already like the way you read. On my way to start reading book 2 of the Vamp Chronicles.
Marta says
Happy Happy Birthday Laina!
Gigi says
Happy, happy birthday to your beautiful, happy, smart-enough-to-know-not-to-be-in-a-hurry-to-grow-up girl!
And yeah, I don’t like flu shots either.
Kat says
Thank you!
I agree, that girl is lucky she knows how good she’s got it at 8!
Lorena says
That hits the target dead cenert! Great answer!
Dyanne @ I Want Backsies says
When my daughter wanted to be bigger than her britches, I used to tell her to enjoy whatever age she was, because she only got to be that age just once in her entire life. Happy birthday to a girl who gets it!
Leslie says
My baby girl turns nine this Sunday and I cannot for the life of me figure out where the time went!?
I have mixed feelings about posting pictures of my kids on my blog, but your pictures are so cute it makes me want to join in :-)
joanne Gilman says
Happy Birthday, Laina!
Kisatrtle says
A lovely post. Thanks for sharing. Give your baby a kiss from me.
Miriam Gomberg says
I hope Laina got some awesome presents in return for adding another year. I think that is a fair trade.
Kelsey McEvoy says
My oldest recently turned 8, too (on the 8th…her Golden Year!) and we photographed her in the SAME fun birthday glasses (from Target). Unlike Laina, though, my Briseis was super stoked to turn 8. But I think only because of how much I hyped up her Golden Year, telling her how amazing it would be BECAUSE IT’S HER GOLDEN YEAR. She couldn’t have cared less before. Now she probably thinks Justin Bieber will end up being her boyfriend or something before the end of the year.
Her b-day photos: http://www.lifeoutloud.kelseymcevoy.com/2013/05/golden/
Jenn says
Happy Birthday, Laina! What beautiful photos. Made me wanna cry and it’s not even my kid (except the part about the flu shot and the pop, which made me snicker. Sorry, Laina!).
In a few months my little girl will turn 4, which means my baby who JUST turned 1 will be 1.5…how did that happen? I can’t handle how fast time flies :(