Four on the floor

So as I mentioned, Dagny turned four and even before she was officially four, we celebrated with a trip to Atlanta's Georgia Aquarium.

That was Monday and Tuesday of birthday week.

On Wednesday, birthday eve, following prayer meeting, we celebrated with Chad and Erica at Chick-fil-A. 

On Thursday, Dag's actual birthday, she and her mother came over in the evening for a swim party and festive summer meal. I'd also bought a small cake -- tiny in fact, because on that same day, I had ordered a larger cake to take to Charlotte on the next evening, for her family birthday party with the aunts and uncles and cousins.

So on the day, it was just TG and me, the birthday girl, and her mommy. Audrey and I took her out on the front porch and made her pose for her Official Birthday Photo, of which there are many instead of one.

I could not choose.

She opened a couple of presents that night and saved some for the big party yet to come. Do you remember when a child's birthday involved one, perhaps two gifts? Hmmmm. Now, that's just the appetizer.

We managed to spread Dagny's birthday over an entire week. She was incredulous when Saturday and Sunday came and it was no longer all about her, and presents, and cake. Her expression was one of mild chagrin.

Child, I said. Oy. Give it up. Your birthday is over for this year.

I was met with a plaintive stare. Mercy. Kids these days.

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Let's pull over and park here for a mo. It's been a while since we did that.

Speaking of kids these days, there's a great deal of vitriol being spewed by the lying leftist hate-mongering progressives about children being separated from their law-breaking parents at the southern border of our great land.

I have one thing two things some things to say about that:

When you attempt to enter any country illegally, either alone or bringing in tow whomever you choose to accompany you, you should expect to encounter immediate opposition by law enforcement of said country. Up to and including imprisonment until you get yourself sorted out.

Why would anyone entertain hopes of a more propitious, less perilous outcome for themselves or their offspring, or whomever comes with them? The United States of America is a country of laws. Our laws must be enforced. If you did not have the incredible good fortune to be born here, you must apply for the right to live here through legal channels, or face the consequences.

And if the leftist progressive nut cases are so concerned about children being separated from their parents, where is the outrage for the sixty-plus million children who have been ripped from their mothers' wombs -- forget their arms; they never got that far -- and died as a consequence?

Where is the fake compassion, the endless virtue signaling, for them?

Abortion is legal. Entering the US without proper documents isn't. So, obeying the law is good if it results in the deaths of unwanted children, but bad if it places the children of illegals detained at the border, in a separate facility until their parents are dealt with?

You can't make this stuff up.

And we could go on and on, if we had the time, about the children who live in perpetual anguish and fear due to gang violence and related horrors in cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia -- and that's not even the Left Coast -- because of leftist progressive policies that have turned their streets into war zones over the course of the last seventy years. Tens of thousands of children separated from their parents by the direst of daily circumstances, not to mention commonplace occurrences such as drug/alcohol addiction and homicide.

As for open borders? The leftist progressives want that because they're determined to never lose another election. To never again have to deal with a duly-elected president who has the audacity to think that our existing immigration laws should be enforced. They don't care what comes next for Americans when that scenario becomes a reality.

Stand strong, Mr. Trump. Enforce our laws. The leftist progressives will keep howling for your blood, and for that of your family members, but be resolute and do what is right. Build the WALL.

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Back to birthday week. It may be over, but the telling about it isn't.

So, last Thursday evening found the four of us out by (and in) the pool, celebrating Dagny turning four. We brought the teensy store-bought vanilla bean cake outside and lit the candles.

We sang. I thought I was videoing that with my phone, but in fact I was not. Apologies. If I had, I'd share.

As we swam and sang and snacked on cake, and Dagny opened one or two of her gifts, the solar lights I have planted in abundance around the pool area began to twinkle on. 

One of the wedding lamp posts with double gaslight-look bulbs has been placed on the small patio outside the sun room, and it comes on with a timer, at dusk, adding even more drama. It stands very tall but looks dwarfed by the big planter because when I took that picture (with my phone) I was in the pool.

On the next afternoon, we all set out for the North Carolina/South Carolina border, the metropolitan Charlotte area, where there's a Culver's and a Cracker Barrel. On this occasion we opted for dinner at Cracker Barrel. With Stephanie and Joel and the other three grands, that made a total of thirteen.

When we'd sung to Dag (again) and she'd blown out her pink glitter candle in the shape of the number four, and we'd all eaten our cake, we went outside to the rocking chairs for Dagny to open the rest of her gifts.

She got at least three pretty dresses. Her mother gave her a pink scooter with light-up wheels. Andrew and Brittany came through with a betta fish and his gear, which was received with enthusiasm:

Eventually we all kissed and hugged and said our goodbyes and parted until the next pawty. Which is actually set for this coming Tuesday, which is our son-in-law Chad's birthday. The shindig will take place at our local Texas Roadhouse.

I haven't forgotten that I promised to tell you about where we went in Atlanta besides the Georgia Aquarium and our awesome hotel. I think you'll like it. And we're not done with wedding photos either.

Be patient and wait.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Friday :: Happy Summer

Comments

[Sally]

I'm sitting here thinking how in the world did Dagny turn four already! Goodness gracious! That sweet little youngun'. :)

So glad she enjoyed her celebrations! An absolute doll baby.

I don't talk about politics since I'm dumb as dirt about a lot of it. The thing that has really struck me though; why do people think all this immigration stuff started with our current POTUS? It's like they ignore facts, either that or they believe what the "actors" (including the Hollywood crowd, and reporters) are selling. For the life of me, I don't get it. Just don't. ugh

Love ya!
xoxo

[Mari]

Way to stretch out a birthday! I enjoyed every picture, especially the video! (Audrey is so beautiful!)
Yes - this whole border thing, the way the liberals use everything, picking and choosing what they want to report and how they report it is enough to make me sick, And abortion is the most sickening thing.

[Cheryl]

That was a great birthday week!!!! Tell Dagny that one time I had a little fish. He was a happy little fish. Every morning when I came downstairs to feed him, I turned on the light and walked over to his fish bowl. He knew that I was going to feed him so he wiggled and waggled his tail. So, I named him "Puppy Dog." He loved me and I loved him. :)