She runs into the room signing “Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me…” and no one blinks an eye, but they turn to the doorway and all say, “Happy birthday Isla Rose!” Leo mumbles, “Rosè,” under his breath while Claire chuckles. A moment between the elder siblings I was fortunate to overhear.
We haven’t shared space altogether since a brief weekend in July, so we are all awake at 7am waiting for Isla to get up from her sweet, last-night-as-a-seven-year-old going on seventy, slumber. Claire has a flight out of Palm Springs in a few hours so we are singing and eating Beetlejuice ice cream cake that Leo purchased at work for Isla for breakfast.
Isla asked for a family gathering this year so this celebration, plus her trip up to Joshua Tree with a western saloon lunch, and Moana II later this evening is how she is choosing to celebrate turning eight. And we are all grateful! Isla brings such joy and creativity to our family. She crafts entire universes out of tape and computer paper. She bought a crocheted emotional support pickle for herself in Joshua Tree, but came home and created an entire wardrobe for it from markers, tape, and paper. It even has a Costco shopping bag because Californians love their Costco.
It’s been a whirlwind few months for us all, but she is transitioning well into her new school even though she hates the uniforms! She made an entire village of friends performing in community theatre as part of the cast for Beetlejuice Jr. She was a Girl Scout, Clone, Death by Toaster, and a mourner. She also continues to read and write, crafting imaginative stories and characters.
If you ask her today what she wants most is for Claire to move here permanently, and that’s followed by a gallon of flavor blasted goldfish and VIP Dress to Impress. She loves Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and swimming.
If you ask us, we just want her to have freedom and rights to her body no matter the needs that may show themselves in the future. We want her world better off than 8 years ago when she was born. And we want her to face less discrimination and patriarchal control than her great grandmothers did.
We absolutely adore our youngest even though she has proven to be the most bossy! Happy birthday Isla! May year 8 be as great for you as you are to all of us!