Eight! She's Great! and I'm posting really late!

Sweet Sister.

She's such a sweetheart... well, really she's more like a lion heart.

Really.

She's feisty, sassy, brave, and all out unique.

Sister has been planning her birthday since December 26th of 2012.

Seriously.

That is one thing with Fragile X Syndrome, they don't understand time so the concept of "Your birthday is still 8 months away," does not compute. All she knows is there are two really cool holidays where she gets things she wants and that is Christmas and her Birthday.

I am actually really grateful that her birthday does come 8 months after Christmas and not the day before or after. Otherwise, I'd have to listen to her constant infatuation, perseveration and expectation about her birthday for 12 months straight as opposed to 8. Puts a little ease on my mind if I think of it that way.

Sister has been learning the social expectations for birthday parties for the last few years in her school classroom. It may seem silly but Birthday parties are one of those social things that are tough for Sister to understand.

Sister has learned that Birthdays are fun, full of gifts and happiness and games.

That doesn't necessarily mean she can handle it...

Last year her party lasted one and a half hours and that proved to be too much stimulation for her and we paid for it, as her parents, for a few days afterward.... it was not pretty.

This year I decided to keep her party SUPER simple and under an hour.

She had so many friends come. I love her friends. They are so sweet to her! It was awesome to have 16 kids show up at Sister's Birthday party and she was so excited to have them.

She was a great host and greeted everyone who came with a giggle jump and a big smile.

About 20 minutes in I could see that Sister's anxiety was building so I knew we had to start with the gifts before she fell to pieces on the grass.

I LOVED see how well all her friends and cousins know Sister and got her such perfect things!

After presents we had cake and we were ending just a few minutes before the one hour mark was up.

I think 55 minutes was just too long.

Maybe next year we'll try: presents, cake, gift bags,  and then end. Twenty minutes might be the right amount of time for an overstimulated, oversensitive and overly emotional girl.

I was so busy trying to keep her anxiety level from reaching its peak that I neglected to take pictures.

Luckily my sister took some and Marc did too.

Sister had finally decided on a Star Wars Themed party so we colored star wars pictures to put on their bags and I made little light sabers out of black electrical tape and some glow sticks!

You can see Sister in the background with her head behind her bag.
We are 15 or 20 minutes into the party and she was already feeling it.

Sister has learned that people play games at birthday parties so we played two of her favorites: Tag and Duck, Duck, Goose! I am laughing because Baby even joined in on the fun!

So even though Sister is overstimulated at this points she still goes all out on her excitement for the piggy bank Aunt Jessie made for her.

Baby tried her best to try to take a few of the gifts for herself

Gracie and Lindsey came to help with the party too. Bless their hearts, I love these girls and the willingness to forget themselves in serving others!

After blowing out the candles on her cake Sister was toast but knew she was "supposed" to eat a piece of cake before the party was done. So she took her piece of cake, shoveled it in her mouth within 10 seconds and then started to announce, "OK everybody! It's time to go! Go home!"

Oh Sister, you have some very understanding friends! Love them all!