Oceanside at Thirty Below

Six years ago last Friday our second daughter, Jessica was born. She was born short and plump with an ear-piercing cry that was an immediate statement of her dislike of being yanked into this cold, bright world. As days and weeks went by, Jessica's smiles became very prevalent. The soft cooing noises turned into giggles when her back was tickled. Jess was easing going and tolerated her older sisters smothering hugs/kisses and an occasional dragging around the house.

I remember wondering if I could love another child like I did my first, but somehow God designed us with the capacity to love multiples with that passionate "mamma bear" love. This second daughter was so unlike her sister but still did all the girly things. At two weeks old, Jessica had her first taste of a Cherrios compliments of her older sister. Before her two month birthday, she already had a cut lip. (I swear those scissors were put away where Heidi couldn't get to them.) I was just glad that as Heidi was showing Jess the scissors as she was swaying back and forth in her swing, Jessie's eye's didn't get poked. Or the time when I found Jessica with a jump rope around her neck as Heidi was playing "pony" with her. Unfortunately, Heidi was at the brunt of the "mamma bear" love here and got the "mamma bear" discipline. I came to understand the phrase "I brought you into this world and I can take you out too!"

As Jess grew, the bond between her older sister and she grew stronger and stronger. They could go round and round one minute and be playing creatively the next. Jessica was a quick learning and started walking when she was 10 months old and talking before she was a year old. I look back at the video footage that I have of Jess when she was around 18 months old and she was talking in sentences. (She had to keep up with her sister.) There are times that I forget about the 22 months that separate my oldest daughters and think that they are twins. As I think back, there are not many stories of just Jess that I could remember. Those two have learned from each other and protected each other. They've been a stabilizing factor in each other's lives when our family was separated at Natalie's birth.

Now Jessica is six years old. She's enjoying all the socialization that kindergarten brings. She's very competitive, but hard to motivate sometimes. She loves to delegate and finds no shame in watching someone else do her work. I just know she'll be a leader someday!

To celebrate Jessie's sixth year, she wanted an "Ocean Birthday." Of all things...in the middle of the winter! So in -30F weather, we had an ocean birthday party. We don't have a Costco, Sam's Club or Walmart around the corner to go pick up a fancy cake or decorations (150 miles away). Heidi's imagination picked up from there. She painted white paper in greens and browns and then cut them into small pieces. This was the seaweed. Silk poinsettias left over from Christmas served as "ocean flowers." These along with plastic "sea snakes" lined the hallway that guests would walk through as they arrived. I turned a 9x13 cake into a seaside paradise (if only we could have traveled there for real!) by using Jessie's Polly Pocket things. It was one of the easier cakes that I've made. We all stayed nice and toasty warm inside and pretended that the laughter of ten children (seven and under) were seagulls vying for a piece of cake.

Finally, I can't post this without leaving some Jessisms:

"These sure are fluffy peas."

While eating eggs and toast one morning..."This doesn't taste like roasted toast!"

"That isn't very fashionable."