Paige is Ten!

 Paige turned ten this year. Yikes! I cannot believe I have a daughter that old, especially such a beautiful, wonderful girl. She, like Avery, was counting down the days to her birthday as well. However, she was a little torn about entering the "double digits". The night before her birthday she was talking about how she was going to be ten the next day and she teared up a little talking about it. She was very sentimental about leaving behind the "single digit" days of her childhood. She stated that although she was excited to be growing up, she was also a little sad. I couldn't have said that better myself!

Paige's 10th Birthday Interview
Height: 52.5 inches

Favorites:
*color: forrest green
*thing to do outside: horseback riding
* movie: The Muppets
*thing to eat for breakfast: biscuits and gravy with sausage
*thing to eat for lunch: pizza
*thing to eat for dinner: fettuccine alfredo
*song: “Good Time” by Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City
*primary song: “Army of Helaman”
*cereal: fruity pebbles
*vegetable: salad
*fruit: avocados and melons
*drink: root beer
*toy: snake magnets
*TV Show: Arthur
*game: Trouble
*book: The Sisters Eight series
*scripture story: When Jesus visited America
*restaurant: Taco Bell
*holiday: Christmas
*animal: giraffe
Random Questions
Who is your best friend?  Meghan Avalon
What are your talents? - “riding my bike and playing my cello.”
-If you could change your name, what would you choose? Bella
- What do you like to take with to bed with you each night? My Jack Russell, Craig
-What do you love about each person in our family?
Dad: “He’s funny and he wrestles with us.”
Mom: “She’s nice and she cooks us all our meals.”
Kennedy: “She talks with me. She makes me feel happier when we talk.”
Avery: “She likes to mess around with me. Hahaha!”
Hadley: “She says funny things that cheer me up.”
-Where would you like to go on vacation this year?
Idaho
-What are some of your wishes for this year?
“I would like to go to Idaho.”
 “To have magic.”
 “I wish I could have my own giraffe like Michael Jackson.”

   Paige woke up on her birthday excited and ready to open her present. We let each girl open one present before school every year, and then save the rest for after dinner and cake. This year was a little different though because Paige and I had gone shopping a couple of nights before her birthday so I could get some ideas of things she might like and she saw this pink mouse sweater and REALLY wanted it. I am glad I went shopping with her because it is not something I would have picked out and/or thought she wanted. She knew she was getting birthday money from people, so she had me buy it,  and wrap it, and asked if it could "PLEASE" be her first present so she could wear it to school on her birthday. It was funny though because when she opened it up, she acted like she was really surprised so her sisters would not know she picked it out beforehand. :)
   Because it was a school day and Paige wanted homemade biscuits and gravy for breakfast, I negotiated with her that she could have cereal (a big treat at our house) instead, and the following day, Saturday morning I would make her biscuits and gravy. Two special breakfasts instead of one. She jumped at the chance and so the girls had gourmet Fruit Loops for breakfast before school.
   Paige also had me curl her hair so she would look nice at school when she handed out her treats to her class. Paige is HUGE on traditions. She loves to have special things we do every year. So on her birthday she gives out Tootsie Pop Ghosts. She has done this every year since Kindergarten. This year was great because she actually made most of them herself. ;) After she was fed and beautified I took her to school.
    At lunchtime I picked her up for the traditional birthday out to lunch. She wanted to go to Taco Bell (Tobey was thrilled). Tobey met us there and we had a good time talking with Paige and eating. Then after lunch she didn't want to go back to school quite yet so I took her over to Home Goods and we browsed around for a little while before I took her back.

    After school it just so happened that the school's Harvest Festival was on her birthday so we stayed after school and played carnival games. Paige walked around with her friends the entire time this year. It was bittersweet to see her walking around laughing and talking with her friends while I was with her little sisters. She really did not talk to us at all (other than to come over and get more tickets). Although, she did watch her sisters for me while I worked my shifts in the classroom game booths. All the girls had a really good time playing games. And to top the day off, we won second place in the pumpkin carving contest! And honestly, we should have won first place. We lost to a weird Barbie-eating pumpkin. Really?!?! Hahaha! It was still cool to win second place!

After the school carnival we came home and ate fettuccine Alfredo, garlic bread, and salad for dinner. Paige is definitely my daughter, she loves pasta! And since Avery had her cake and opened her presents at Grandma and Grandpa Orme's house, that is what Paige wanted to do too. So we packed up her stuff and headed over there. This year I really tried hard to convince the girls to choose another dessert besides a cutely decorated cake. It takes a lot of work to use fondant only to have people scrape it off and throw it away. So I kept sneakily convincing suggesting different kinds of yummy cakes I had had before, describing in detail each of their yummy ingredients. The only one that made Paige's interest flare was a better than "whatever" cake. The thought of carmel, whipped cream, and Butterfingers (instead of Heath) made her change her mind. All the girls loved the cake, but none of them could finish their piece because it was too rich. I think that is a first! :)


After she had her cake she opened her presents and cards. She was thrilled to receive birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa Orme, Aunt Michelle, Grandma Jessie, and the dollars from the Regas and Grandma Lila. Then she opened the Dollar Store presents from her sisters. Hadley gave her some cool magnets. Avery gave her some fuzzy socks with toes in them. And Kennedy gave her some chapstick. Then she opened her presents from us: earrings, the movie Nanny McPhee, a cute shirt, and a huge soft blanket. We stayed at grandma and grandpa's house talking until it was time to come home and go to bed. Then the next morning she woke up and I made her official breakfast of biscuits and gravy with bacon.  I think she had a pretty happy birthday!

Paige is becoming such a "tween" although I hate that expression. I use it to state that she is growing up, and way too fast for this mom! She is outgrowing a lot of the things her sisters like to do like playing Barbies or Littlest Pet Shop (although from time to time she will join in with them). Instead she likes to play on Webkinz world or listen to music. She is very interested in everything I am doing and she really wants to try new things like crafts and sewing. She has also outgrown a lot of the shows her sisters like and it makes picking out a movie for family movie night a lot harder because of the range of ages. Whatever Paige likes to watch is way over Hadley's head, but the shows Hadley likes are too "babyish" for Hadley. We compromise a lot! :)

Paige started playing cello this year. She wanted to start last year but we waited it out to see if she was serious. She kept asking and asking, so we decided it would be something she would actually practice. This summer we found a great deal on a cello on Craigslist. Paige pitched in almost half the money to buy it (we figured if she had to invest her own money into it, she was more likely to take care of it) and she started lessons with a woman in our ward. She has really done well with practicing and she knows a few basic songs now. We are proud of her for working so hard.

Paige has really become a great, thoughtful helper to me this year. She has made our family dinner a couple times, packs her sisters lunches for them, and is quick to help clean up around the house without being asked a lot of the time. She has also started babysitting for us a little bit. I will leave her with the girls while I run quickly to the store to pick something up when Tobey is working, etc. And she has really been responsible and helpful in that way as well. One of the things I love about Paige is when she gives our Family Home Evening lessons. She really does a great job. She picks a topic, researches it, and comes up with a complete lesson. I am talking, visual aids, object lessons, interactive games, the works! She is great at it! And she is very serious when she gives the lesson. The Spirit is always present because she is so earnest with her presentation. It is wonderful to see.

Paige is such a wonderful girl who really tries hard to do what is right. She is especially helpful to me when I am having a hard day. We LOVE her and are so thankful she is in our family!