Happy 10th Birthday Lidia

This is Lidia, my granddaughter and the sweetest girl I know.

Today's post is what this blog is all about. I blog to capture moments and memories to preserve for my future generations. 

Lidia is:
...Compassionate
...Funny
...Smart
...The best big sister anyone can have. She loves her brother like no other. They spend copious amounts of time together playing, talking and just being.
...A well rounded girl

Lidia has:
...A curiosity about things that stretches her imagination and draws in anyone she engages with it.
...A love of learning about whatever she hears in a given day.

Lidia loves:
...Science. It is her favorite subject in school.
...To socialize and spend time with her friends.
...Her family, deeply!!!

And, We Love Her To Pieces!!!!

Today, Lidia turned 10 years old. I'm a little sad because I don't want my grandkids to grow up.....I want to keep them little forever so I can hug on them and kiss on them and be astounded by what they are learning and laugh at their new discoveries. But time marches on. So we need to make the best of it, while we can.

Lidia has been asking me to teach her to sew. I have looked forward to teaching her the things I love and grew up doing. And, I had my chance last weekend. Lidia's daddy gave her a sewing machine for either Christmas or her birthday, last year. And since Emily and the kids have been in transition with the move upstate....trying to get settled in to new routines, we've just now got around to taking the sewing machine for a spin. I actually thought it was a toy until we took it out of the box. The thing was real. So we had some serious business to get down to.

First order of business......shopping for fabric, a sewing box and sewing notions. That evening, I taught Lidia how to sew. And she has been sewing up a storm, since.

Lidia's first project.....a brown kitty with yellow eyes, holding a heart. It looks kind of wonky because we made the pattern ourselves. Anyway, during the making of brown kitty, Lidia had a great idea. I've already mentioned that she is a compassionate child and this next little story will tell you just how much.

Joyce and Ronnie are our neighbors at the beach. Joyce is the one that Sawyer calls Mrs. Joyous because that's how he interpreted it when he was just a little thing. Mrs. Joyous loves Lidia and Sawyer like they were her own grandchildren. She brings them surprises and bananas and apples. And they sit in her swing and talk about all sorts of things.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I received a phone call from Ronnie with bad news. Joyce's son had passed away unexpectantly. I called to check up on her last week and she was just completely heartbroken. Actually, heartbroken doesn't even begin to describe what Joyce feels. Her hurt is deep, as it would be for any mother losing a child. So when I was at Emily's last weekend, I told them about Joyce's son and Lidia just really took it to heart. She was actually sewing the brown kitty at the time and turned to me and said, "LaLa, I want to give my kitty to Mrs. Joyce. I hope it will make her feel better." I nearly cried. That was about the sweetest thing I had ever heard. Lidia was willing to give what she had spent her time and energy on, something that meant a lot to her, to Mrs. Joyce in hopes that somehow it would make her feel better. I'm telling you.....that child is sweet! So, she finished up the brown kitty and asked if I would mail it to Mrs. Joyce. And of course, I did.

Not only did Lidia sew brown kitty but, she made a skirt also. She sewed the seams and casing for the elastic and I inserted the elastic for her. I also hemmed it because I thought that hand hemming would be a little challenging until she gets a little more experienced. She was so proud of that skirt and actually wore it to school the next day.

I think it is so important to teach our little ones the art of making things by hand. So far, I am not only teaching Lidia to sew, but to knit and crochet also. Cooking is next. I hope Lidia always remembers our time together and grows to love these things as much I do. She already has a compassionate heart and I hope she continues to use her talents to touch others.

Lidia making her first skirt.

Here she is modeling it.

Lidia sewing brown kitty.

Brown kitty holding a blue heart and the note.

The Note.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

Love,

LaLa

***I received a voicemail from Joyce today saying that she had received the kitty and that she and Ronnie were so touched by Lidia's gesture. She said she has never, ever had anything to touch her heart any more than that note and little kitty did. Joyce wants Lidia to know that the kitty will always be with her and she will cherish it as long as she lives.

I nearly cried again!