Fiona's Epic 13th Birthday

I can't remember exactly when Fiona decided that she didn't want a birthday party, but she did. What she did want to do was go rock climbing at the indoor climbing place in Whitby. All of that changed of course when she broke her wrist a week ago. It was back to the drawing board and re-imaging her birthday in a different way.

She woke up to the birthday decorations and presents on the table.

She actually liked the purse that we picked out, hurrah!

And watching her face when she opened the purple bunny was so awesome.

After waffles, bacon and sausage for breakfast, Fiona eventually had one of the cakepops my friend and colleague Cindi made.

FIona suggested we go do an escape room, and everyone thought that was a fun idea.

We were all so happy when we were able to solve the room and get out, with 22 minutes to spare even!

Then we met Grandma and CJ at Jack Astor's for Fiona's birthday dinner.

CJs table art was the best, no surprise there.

Fiona wanted to play a game, so a board game was played. (I worked on report cards and Kate was somewhere else). And then we sang happy birthday and Fiona ate another cake pop and blew out a candle.

Happy birthday my beautiful girl. I'm so proud of you and how brave you've been during the craziness of breaking your wrist! I hope you know how much joy you bring to our family. I'm ever so grateful that you are the light that completed our family. Happy 13th Birthday! Welcome to the teenage years!

The Birthday Questions - Fiona - Age 13

1. What is your favourite color? Pink

2. What is your favourite toy? The gorilla or playdough. (She got a purse for her birthday and it came with a pink gorilla keychain.)

3. What is your favourite fruit? Strawberries and Raspberries

4. What is your favourite tv show? Modern Family

5. What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch? Pasta

6. What is your favourite outfit? Yellow gap sweatshirt and jean shorts

7. What is your favourite game? Happy City

8. What is your favourite snack? Fruit

9. What is your favourite animal? Bunny

10. What is your favourite song? The Cure, Olivia Rodrigo

11. What is your favourite book? To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

12. Who is your best friend? Hazel

13. What is your favourite cereal? Rice Krispies with strawberries

14. What is your favourite thing to do outside? Go to the park

15. What is your favourite drink? Lemonade or water

16. What is your favourite holiday? My birthday and Christmas

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Jellycat bunnies

18. What is your favourite thing to eat for breakfast? A smoothie

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Jack Astor’s – chicken strips and fries

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher or an architect or an interior designer

 

A New Cast

Who would have thought that going to the fracture clinic would be such an emotional ordeal?!?!

This morning Fiona went with her Dad to Crave to pick up donuts. The only bummer, she didn't get a free donut because tomorrow is her birthday. Next year they'll know. Fiona and I had a P.A. day today, I was supposed to work on my report cards all day...

Her appointment at the clinic was at 12:45. We didn't wait that long to be seen by someone, but the first person that we saw was an assistant. He informed us that she might get her cast off today, or she might have to come back next week. This was instantly upsetting because Fiona was counting on getting the ugly, heavy cast removed. Then the actual doctor came in and told Fiona that her cast could indeed come off today and that if she wanted, she could have a splint instead of a cast. Cue more tears and much confusion. Fiona did not know what to do. We asked lots of questions. We hummed and hawed, we asked more questions, Fiona cried a little more. 

We went to see the guy who does the casts, he talked to Fiona and instantly put her at ease. He showed her the amazing material he had to make a purple cast, her eyes lit up. The appointment that I thought would take half an hour ended up taking almost two hours.

The casting dude was the best.

However, we left with a happy girl. She still has her moments - being casted for the month, and on her 13th birthday, was not part of any plan, but she's looking for the good and trying to be optimistic. Cool thing, this cast is waterproof, so she doesn't have to cover it up in the shower.

We went to pick up her free Sephora gift, and that was a happy thing.

A fresh coat of nail polish helped make things feel better too.

All of this on the eve of her 13th birthday. Good night my twelve year old.

I hope that even though this isn't the birthday you were expecting, that this is a good birthday. 

A Broken Wrist but really "a non-displaced radial fracture"

No more hurdles for this girl! Oh dear! Ken called me on the way home from picking up Fiona from hurdles practice. Fiona was crying hard in the background. I felt pretty calm even though my baby girl was miserable. I just knew we needed to go to the hospital. I haven't been to the emergency department in a long time, I think the last time I was personally there was taking Fiona when she was 3ish and fell on her head. Our wait was long ish but all things considered, not too bad. Fiona had moments of pain and tears and moments where she pulled herself together.

After the x-ray, and after the first waiting room and then the second waiting room and then getting called to see the doctor, he said that he had good news and bad news. The bad news, which Fiona wanted first, was that her wrist was broken. She was shocked and funnily a little excited - or maybe just relieved that the pain that was really bad, was actually real. The good news, he informed us, was that she didn't have to be sedated to be casted - ugh! 

Fiona's after photo, when we were waiting for Ken to come get us. 

This first cast will need to be replaced sometime next week, we'll get a call, and we aren't totally sure when the cast will come off, but Fiona's next month is not looking quite like she had expected. She wasn't expecting to not go to the hurdles competition, she wasn't expecting to miss out on the 5km, she wasn't expecting to have a broken wrist for her birthday. She's had some real ups and downs tonight. I pray that she'll be brave and comforted through this very not fun experience. 

Southwood Superstar and Chasing Sunsets

I'm thankful that Ken will take time to go support our kids during the school day, and that he takes pics and that I know that our kids feel loved and supported. Fiona won a superstar away today at school and Ken was there. 

I'm also thankful that sometimes my kids will let me drag them and go chasing sunsets. 

I think I will always love chasing sunsets!

Tree Top Trekking and Exploring Millbrook

The stake organized an activity for the youth turning 12 and 13 this year. They invited a few other older youth as leaders, but generally the activity was just for the younger ones. Fiona was so excited about it. We drove Fortius, Manny, Zion and Fiona and they all had such a great time. Fiona loves to climb and has no fear of heights so she was excited to be up in the trees. 

Once all of the kids were checked in and all of the waivers had been properly accounted for, Ken and I looked at a map. I picked Millbrook and we were off to explore a place we hadn't been to before.

It was such a cute little mainstreet. We went into the Home Hardware. This store was the epitome of small town Ontario. It had all of the hardware things you'd expect and extras that you need in a small town - knickknacks and local arts and crafts. On the mainstreet there was a chocolatier that had items listed as gluten free. There was also a cute store with home things upfront and cheese and meat and speciality grocery items in the back. Ken bought some cheese and we bought a fun sauce. Just to the south of the mainstreet was a little area with a pond and an old mill. The buildings also had quilting squares on them - like the Moose in Toronto a few years ago and like the Beavers that are currently in Toronto for FIFA. We had a delightful time exploring a new place together. 

When we got back to pick up the kids we assumed we might be late. Turns out that the kids weren't done. The continued to climb and use the zip lines. It was fun because I got to see Fiona doing her thing. I also got to cheer on Melanee doing something scary. Watching the kids challenge themselves and push themselves out of their comfort zones is pretty neat.

Later on it was time to take Milo for his afternoon walk. We had a funny walk. He wanted to lie down in weird places, and he laid down as it started to rain lightly. But then it wasn't raining lightly and I had my raincoat, but Milo was a drowned rat! I dragged him over to the school (Southwood) and waited under an overhang for Ken to come and rescue us. 

Today was such a fun day. I'm glad the weather held for the activity in the morning and that I could have a fun adventure with my love.