what to give a seven year old for her birthday

Knowing that our little friend Hanna was leaving the country soon made the choice of a birthday gift harder than usual.

No one wants to receive a toy you can only play with for a month or two before you have to give it away or sell it at a yard sale.

And there just isn’t room in the limited luggage for another stuffed animal or book or Lego set, no matter how cool it really is.

So I asked Piper what she might like to give Hanna.  And she suggested an experience.

I loved that idea.

Another night of fun, a fabulous little memory, to share with your friend before she moves far far away.

So Piper and her friend Kate made a cute card to offer to Hanna on her birthday that promised a future night of fun together.

The gift was a simple time of baking and special show watching together.

As the gift recipient, Hanna chose both the baked good and the show.

I love that this seven year old made such interesting choices.

We baked pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and watched I Love Lucy!

These girls were all about the stirring and the laughing and the sneaking pinches of dough and free range chocolate chips.

They were giddy and jolly and merry and truly just downright sweet.  Huggable – each one of them.  Eyes wide with fun and joy in the most pure way.

I think it was a great gift.  It might become my standard offering.  Because it was a gift that was all about experiencing something together – creating another layer to the friendship between these little girls who won’t always be little.  These little girls whose problems won’t always be which apron to wear.

It was sweet to fill my kitchen with that kind of cute tonight.