awesome

susanna, my sweet sweet angel girl,

how do i describe you, as you turn this magical and wonderful age of seven?  i've asked myself this question ever since your big day a few weeks ago.  i find myself watching you more intently than i normally do, in quiet observation as i try to find just the right words to use ... and yet, i still feel like my words are inadequate.  but the process has been so worthwhile, because in the hustle and bustle of our crazy everyday lives, i often forget to slow down and witness the amazing person you have become. this endeavor of mine has proven to me, yet again, how incredibly blessed we are to call you ours.

it was a few days after your party that i was struck with the perfect story to share.  you had a list a mile long of presents you had received for your birthday, from your grandparents, godparents, great-grandmother, brother, parents, and, of course, your gazillion friends.  (honestly - is there anyone in the world who has more friends than you?)  i handed you some stationery and asked you to choose someone from that list and write them a thank you note.  i expected stalling, or complaining, or frustration, since those are all perfectly normal reactions of a seven-year old.

instead, you sat down at the breakfast table, pencil gripped in your hand, brow furrowed in concentration.  and after a little while, you came up to me and handed me the note.  "is this good?" you asked.

it was one of the most wonderful thank you notes i had ever seen.  the message you had written was thoughtful, it was heartfelt -- it was real.  you had drawn a picture of the gift and decorated the margins with hearts and had filled the small empty space at the bottom with dozens of "XOXO"s.  and while there might have been a small spelling error here or there, it didn't matter.  i could picture the smile that would spread across the recipient's face as she opened up her envelope and read your words.

and that, i think, sort of sums you up:  you're thoughtful, you're heartfelt -- you're real.  i'm not sure this is the best way to put it, but i call you "quietly amazing".  meaning, you're not a show-off of all your talents and brilliance and gifts.  you don't scream for attention or crave the limelight.  but once people are around you, they get to know you, and they start to witness just who susanna mann is.  and what they witness is never short of miraculous.

look out, world!  here comes susanna

as i was pondering what exactly i was going to write, i sought help from your brother.  i explained, "soon i'll be writing my annual birthday post for susanna.  what kinds of words would you use to describe your sister?"

our resident master puzzle solver

"hmm," he mused from the back seat, deep in thought.  "she's funny.  and really good at art and dance and music.  and a little sassy ... and smart, of course ..." he faded off as he mused over other options.  "i don't really know how to say it, actually.  she's just ... well ... susanna is awesome."

happy seventh birthday to our thoughtful, funny, talented, sassy, smart, and just plain awesome baby girl.  we love you so!

infinity squared,

mommy

a birthday pedicure, as is our tradition

and a good time was had by all, part two

i've finally gathered the final photos of our amazing bahamian vacation, if for no other reason than to prove that the adults were actually on the trip.

one afternoon chris and i got off the boat and actually left liam and susanna in the kids' club.  come to find out, we could have totally brought them to the bar.  they seem to have relaxed rules in the bahamas

 

my two athletics-loving boys participated in a sports trivia contest, and won!  the plastic gold trophy is sitting on a shelf in liam's room.  and yet another plastic gold trophy takes up residence next to susanna's bed.  not to boast, but i won that one for winning a trivia contest on celebrities.  who said reading people magazine is a waste of time?!

frozen drinks poolside with my BFF of 27 years ... doesn't get much better

the whole clan, in what we now refer to as "the titanic picture" ... probably not the smartest thing to call it while we were still on the boat, come to think of it

truly, the best trip ever

cute girl

i had the pleasure of joining liam's second grade class today for their mother's day celebration.  all twenty-two moms were present, sitting at desks around the edge of the room, while one by one, each of our offspring stepped forward to the front of the class.  on an easel to their left, they placed a portrait they had painted of their mom, and then each of them read a short essay they had written. 

when the first student began, i actually started to tear up a little -- it was so heartfelt, so genuine.  but then the second one read hers, and it sounded quite similar.  and then the third continued the theme.  by the time the fourth one launched into his spiel, i had the formula down pat: an introduction; a paragraph describing their mom; a paragraph about their mom's skills or talents; a paragraph about what they like to do with their mom; and a conclusion.  (the general format of the five paragraph essay has obviously not changed much in the past few decades.)

while there was much variety among us twenty-two moms in terms of talents and skills and enjoyed activities, we were all remarkably similar in one way: apparently, we are all beautiful.  "my mom is beautiful because she has curly and shiny hair!" we heard.  and then, "my mom is beautiful because she has rosy lips!" and, "my mom is beautiful because she has soft skin!" 

there was only one child in the bunch who broke from the norm.  liam.

"i love my mom, and this tells all about her," he began.  (introduction, check.)  "my mom, sara, is ..." i waited for it.  "... a very cute girl."

the entire perimeter of the room chuckled, catching liam by surprise.  his eyes darted toward me for reassurance -- had he said something funny?   i gave him a thumbs up, and he smiled back at me before returning to his reading.

so "beautiful" was not his word of choice ... but that's quite all right.  i don't mind a bit.

because i'm a Very Cute Girl.

and a good time was had by all, part 1

ridiculous.  it really is.  it's been over a month since we departed for our first family vacation ever, and i have yet to really do it justice here on the blog.  i've been meaning to sit down here at the computer and go through all the photos but Lord have mercy, we took so many photos on so many different devices that i swear it has just taken me two hours to compile all of them together.

i have so many to share that i've decided to split them up into a kids' post and an adults' post.  (and since we hardly take any pictures of just ourselves, the adults' post will also have kids in it.) 

so without futher ado ... i give you the mann-bass 2013 family cruise, kid style.


 web (9), susanna (6), liam (8), marshall (6) -- all in matching seersucker, in case you happened to miss it -- in front of a very cheesy backdrop

his dream came true!  table tennis galore!  he was actually so into it that random people would stop and watch him play.  seems all that wii practice has paid off

 collecting seashells and teeny crabs in the most beautiful blue water we've ever seen

her findings

our lovely room -- and lest you think that we splurged and actually paid for a room with a window, realize that there was nothing behind that curtain but wall.  the kids loved them some bunk beds.  i was, unfortunately, singing a different tune the fifth time i bonked my head on them

liam must have jetted down this slide a hundred times.  luckily it did not dump him out into the ocean, as susanna gratefully realized

dancing up a storm at dinner one night.  i'm assuming they don't actually know what flo rida is singing about in this song ...

stay tuned for installment number two, because chris and i actually were on this trip.  as we say each time we pull into the driveway from whatever excursion we've just finished ... "and a good time was had by all." 

especially the kids.