Six! The Year of the Roller Skates

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Six years ago today, at about at 2:00 in the morning, I labored our first-born child, a daughter we named Lucy, into this world. September 1, 2008, was also the first Monday in September, or Labor Day as we celebrate it here in the United States of America. I labored on Labor Day. I love that fun fact and shall never tire of sharing it with the world (speaking of sharing facts, read more about Lucy’s birth and name story here).

Now she’s six! I thank the Lord for the enthusiasm, exuberance, and joy she brings to our family. When asked what she wanted on her birthday party menu, Lucy said, “Cheeseburgers, strawberries, and cupcakes.” Keeping it simple; that’s my kind of gal. I think she intuitively knows that her daddy, AKA Das Schmidt Haus head baker, is a wee bit busy with his new diaconal duties and wouldn’t be able to work up one of those fancy cakes he’s baked in the past. So cupcakes it is, American Test Kitchen-esque fresh from scratch ones, with two sous chefs in tow.Lucy asked for a Hello Kitty theme. Thanks to Pinterest, we found a simple plan that included these cupcake liners and these rings. Bing! Bam! Boom!

Good-looking cupcakes. Tasty, too!

Now let’s move on … to roller skates, the only item on Lucy’s wish list. Even though she’s asked for skates for weeks, I didn’t start thinking about buying them until Wednesday of this past week. But what’s the rush? Surely the local sporting goods stores keep inventory of skates, yes?

Nope.

Turns out roller skates aren’t as easy to find as I assumed. Good ol’ Target store to the rescue. They had two pair of roller skates left in stock here in Des Moines. Hello Kitty-branded skates, in fact. We have a winner!

Given all the running around to find the skates, how fun was it to capture this reaction as she unwrapped them? Very!

She immediately tested her new footwear inside the house. Hardwood floors, for the win.

Then we convinced Lucy she was ready to hit the pavement. So we set off toward the park, and she held on for dear life.

Let’s zoom in on the siblings for their reaction.

Jude and Lydia are clearly not impressed.

 A wedgie might have been involved. Hey, maybe bunched underwear motivated her to let go?

Lucy quickly learned Life Lesson #231: When you let go of the comfortable, rocky roads will likely follow.

But that leads to Life Lesson #232: When you get knocked down, GET BACK UP AGAIN!

The return trip home looked a heck of a lot more confident than her inaugural departure.

Her siblings are now a little more impressed with how she rolls and cheered Lucy on from the back of daddy’s truck.

Before she went to bed yesterday, Lucy said, “Mom, when I wake up, I’m going to put on my skates and wear them around the house all day. I love roller skating!”

And that, friends, is how the Year of the Roller Skates began!