Just Like That, She's 8

Our little Miss Cora turned 8 last month.  Usually I take her birthday off work so that I can bring Subway, and eat lunch with her at school.  This year they had no school the day before, so I let her choose which day she wanted me to take off.  She chose the day before so we could have all day.  Our plan was to go to Bounce World and then see The Greatest Showman.  Well...it turned out we got hit with a snow and ice storm, so we were stuck at home.  The kids were disappointed at first, but ultimately we had a great day.  We started by organizing and rearranging Cora's room.  Then it was outside to play in the snow, and since we couldn't make it in to town to the movie we rented Boss Baby and watched it at home.  We still want to see The Greatest Showman though!

Although most kids may not want to spend half of their birthday organizing and rearranging I can assure you it was all Cora's idea!  Rearranging her room is one of her favorite things to do.  She has even suprised us by doing it all on her own!  Well, as suprised as you can be when your hear the banging and sliding of furniture above your head.  She's determined, you gotta give her that.  She's known for coming up with an idea and just moving foreward with it.  I LOVE that about her.  The quote "she believed she could, so she did" fits her perfectly. I try to remind myself to smile and say yes when she tells me her plan (IF she tells me her plan!).  Even though I'm generally cringing on the inside at the mess that is sure to ensue.  Notice I said she moves foreward with her ideas and didn't say finish.  She may get halfway through something and decide it's not working out, or she's not loving it.  So, she'll stop and move on to something different.  One of her favorite songs on her playlist when she runs with me is Try Everything.  I always think of her when I hear this song, because thats her.  She'll try everything, but only do what suits her.  We're still working on the part where she remembers to clean up the mess she left behind though.

Despite the messes ideas she tends to leave behind, I always say Cora is my easy child.  She is just always happy.  Well not always, but even when she's not it's like the flip of a switch for her to get over whatever it was and back to smiling.  Not that the other two aren't happy but there's just something so silly and light hearted about Cora.  Life is just a little less serious with her, and I love that reminder she gives me.  And that girl LOVES to laugh. We're talking no holds barred, throw back your head and belly laugh. I dare you to listen to that laugh and not let a smile cross your lips.  It can't be done.  I know I've said it time and time again, but that girl is just a ball full of contagious joy.

She loves everything about art and still wants to be an artist.  Her latest quest has been turning her bedroom in to an art gallery, covering the walls with her creations.  She'll try and sell you one of them if you stop over!  When she's not creating her latest masterpiece you will find her in the living room doing cartwheels.  Lots and lots of cartwheels.  She's completly self taught, and shocked me a couple weeks ago when she showed me her one handed cartwheels.....what?!  She continually begs for me to put her in gymnastics, but the thought of adding just one more thing has kept me from moving foreward on that for now.

Her actual birthday ended up being a snow day, so we got a bonus day at home!  I still had to work, so she and Sylvie spent a lot of time playing up in her room.  Once Luke got home she opened her presents which included at bat and ball bag, light box for her room, new boots, and a Magic Eye book.  Her supper choice was, of course, mac and cheese with hot dogs cut up in it.  We spent the evening trying out our Magic Eye skills.


Here's a little about Cora in her own words: