Happy birthday!

Hannah and Lizzie are 10. As in 10 YEARS old. While it's true that sometimes they act like teenagers, it's hard to wrap my brain around 10. Because sometimes they act like 2 year olds.
There have been a lot of changes in the past 10 years, of course, as we've put some challenges to rest and discover new ones. Through it all though, Hannah and Liz are still -- and will forever be -- my babies. It feels like yesterday that I was changing diapers and chasing them down in the library, the store, church or wherever else they chose to make a break for it. It seems like yesterday that I was singing someone to sleep or intervening in a temper tantrum in the middle of a department store (okay, that may actually HAVE been yesterday...)
But somehow they've learned to walk and talk and read and (on occasion) do math. They've learned compassion and sass. They talk about the issues of their lives (I can't find my shoes. I need more time on the computer. Do you think Liam from One Direction has a girlfriend?) and the issues of their souls (Do you think God lives in a castle? Why do little children get sick and die? Are there hamsters in heaven?)
They struggle, they succeed, they falter, they overcome. They hate each other until anyone else hates them and then they are a solid unit. They fight hard, but get lonely when the other one is at a playdate.
They make me sigh in frustration and take my breath away with their insight.
And now they are 10. As in 10 YEARS old. Wow.

Here are a couple of photos from their birthday. We started celebrating when we were in London in October and will continue to celebrate through this weekend, when the Kevins visit.
This first picture is the annual, Can Dad Still Hold Both of Us challenge. As you can see, he has succeeded again -- 10 years in a row. The girls each weigh over 60 lbs now, but I have confidence that he'll be able to do it well into the future, although it might look a bit awkward when they are 16 or 17... (oh, and they are dressed for dance because they birthday fell on a rehearsal night for Nutcracker!)

 

 We gave the girls their ear piercing as a birthday gift, but they got each other a gift, too. Not surprisingly they each chose a Monster High doll for the other. Hannah and Liz have different personalities, but very similar taste:

 And here they are blowing out the candles on their cake. There are six candles, which means nothing except that I was so proud of myself that I made the cake from scratch that I totally forgot to buy candles and had to scrounge around in the drawers until I found something I could light on fire.