Lila has turned one! Have you heard the news? I try to temper waxing poetic about our little girl but this big milestone made me want to shout from the rooftops. I was not alone in my wild exuberance, for with impressive flair my sister painted the ultimate birthday card to her niece in bright pink, billowing splendor! All birthdays are fabulous, but there is something about a 1st birthday that elicits such powerful emotion. As the wise mother of two, Kelly pointed out that the 1st birthday is really a celebration for the parents- like breaking through the first of many finish line tapes, July 17th, 2011 was cause for huge celebration - we made it through the first year!
For the occasion, Jack wrote a poem to Lila- complete with the 'OMG I can't believe you are one," recited to his little cousin while he was dripping wet from the pool- it was hot after all and so perfect. The entire family strung loads of pink lanterns and flowers, crafted a giant "1" out of Chinatown garland, Kelly whipped up a delicious strawberry cake, which Henry helped to cut, and sweet corn risotto was on the menu for the budding baby epicure. Amid the sweet confection of the day, the memory I will most treasure is when my brother-in-law Matt broke into an impromptu acoustic guitar of "Happy Birthday" and serenaded his niece. With the backdrop of a Vermont summer, punctuated in pink and enveloped by her family, at that moment I knew we had indeed all given Lila the perfect celebration.
