Works for Me Wednesday…BACKWARDS Edition!
Here's how it works…The tables are turned and instead of me giving advice or resolving a problem I get to ask you to help me with a question or problem! And just in the nick of time, too!
Here's the mission: Help me plan a memorable 16th birthday celebration for my firstborn daughter!
The vision: A fun celebratory event that marks her passage from girlhood to young womanhood.
I've been brainstorming and here's what I've come up with so far:
- The whole event could actually stretch over a weekend…her birthday is on Sunday.
- Friday evening I have given to her to plan…she is thinking of going to the high school basketball game with her friends and then maybe out to dinner, home by 11pm curfew.
- Saturday at noon I am going to "kidnap" her and two of her closest friends and we are going on a surprise road trip to Kansas City for a girlie weekend…but what to do, where to go in KC…on a fairly limited budget? Maybe I'll splurge for special hotel accommodations, like on the Plaza or Crown Center…but what else could we do?
- After church on Sunday and a delicious breakfast…but where?
- This is where everything gets fuzzy…I want to have a special family time birthday dinner on Sunday evening when we return home…but maybe that's too much.
- Kaylie is the first of three girls…so I want to establish some sort of faith centered tradition with this birthday. I didn't do so hot with 13…it was pretty lame.
- I would like to make a special memory book. This week Birthday Girl is to compile a list of people who she feels have thus far influenced her life in one way or another…either spiritually, academically, athletically or even artistically. These are people she knows and who know her…teachers, mentors, fellow students. I plan to scan the list and will be sending letters to these individuals to write a special birthday note of encouragement and wisdom to Kaylie. Some of these individuals will have a strong faith, others not so much but have loved her and walked with her in some way…it's just that I am not sure what to write in this letter of invitation. Should I just email them or snail mail? What do I do with them when I receive them? Should I make a special scrapbook with them?
- Gift ideas: a hope chest and/or a charm bracelet. Both could be utilized as external signification of this milestone.
- Another idea: writing a special prayer for her and presenting it with the letters and scrapbook.
- Finally…how do I organize all these thoughts and prioritize them…then how do I actually implement the plan!
Help! Do you have any ideas to share? Were there special moments you created for your daughter or maybe that you remember from a special birthday?
Shannon and other bloggers at Rocks in My Dryer could use your creative insight into the many problems and dilemmas that plague the internets…find them here.
Oh, and I vote that Shannon tosses the empty DVD cases in the trash…call it a 27 thing Boogie and move on girl!
2 comments:
All your ideas sound great. I love the letters to her in a scrapbook--I read an article about this once...One of my favorite ideas was to do this but be very specific about what they write: ie. what do you wish you knew at 16 OR a prayer for her adn favorite scripture OR a special memory with her, etc.) They also suggested writing to some of her real heroes (like authors or even singers, etc.)
Also, there is a great book called "Gentle Passages" by Robin Jones Gunn that talks about these faith traditions and special events to help bring your daughter into Godly womanhood. My daughter is only 2 but I've devoured this book!
Thanks for the book suggestion! I have been looking for books just like the one you've described! I am going to check it out soon.
Good for you to be thinking ahead...the time has gone by so very, very quickly reminding me to number my days aright that I may gain a heart of wisdom!
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