The blessing of seven
Monday, January 2, 2012 at 09:44AM 
Do you remember when you turned seven?
I don't mean, do you know the date you turned seven. I mean, do you remember that birthday?
I do not remember my seventh birthday. It would've been 1964 and there was a lot going on in the world so maybe I was preoccupied.
TG remembers turning seven because it was a bright, sunny day (his favorite kind) in an Ohio January (the sort of day that makes my teeth hurt because of the blinding snow and the bitter wind moving across it), and his mother made a cake in the shape of a seven.
That story is lore in our family. TG is very cute when he tells about his seven cake.
To me, when he tells it, he looks like he's seven again.
A few years back both Audrey and I read a book entitled An Ocean in Iowa by Peter Hedges, author of What's Eating Gilbert Grape.
The book's main character is a spunky little kid named Scotty Ocean, who turns seven and makes up what he calls the "seven dance."
Scotty performs the dance for his mother at every opportunity.
Nobody at our house knows the seven dance but my Melanie turned seven on December twenty-first.
She and her family arrived on the twenty-second and we ordered pizza and had a birthday party.
Stephanie brought not one but two sheet cakes, just in case making a seven with the first proved too much of a challenge for us and we needed a second go.
????
Or, in case there wasn't enough cake once we made a seven from one of them.
????
First let me say, it was not difficult to make a seven from the sheet cake. Basically two cuts. I'm not exactly the ace of cakes, but ...
So then I frosted the seven and sprinkled different colors of sugar on top. We hid the cake from TG until it was decorated.
I wish you could've seen his face all wreathed in smiles at the sight of his granddaughter's seven cake.
History repeating itself. Sort of.
Then we frosted the second cake (just in case) and I fished a seven candle out of my numerical candle stash (I had a green-and-purple polka-dotted six that was supposed to be for Melanie last year, and I forgot to take it to her house for the party, and now it has to wait until Allissa turns six in 2014), and we were so totally in business.
Aunt Erica gave her princess shoes with boa feathers on top in purple or pink, I can't remember which. There may have been a tiara too.
We gave her a wristwatch with six different colors of bands and at least ten coordinating bezels.
She got a dress with a black tulle petticoat and as far as I'm concerned, that was the best present.
Melanie herself is a beautiful gift. I hope she knows it.
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With the first light of sun --
Bless you.
When the long day is done --
Bless you.
In your smiles and your tears --
Bless you.
Through each day of your years --
Bless you.
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Reader Comments (8)
Happy Birthday to sweet Melanie! I love her seven cake, and it's even better because of TG's memories. I don't remember my 7th birthday - I must not have gotten a seven cake!
Happy Birthday to lovely little Melanie, she's not so little anymore. Love your seven story, and what fun. I don't remember turning seven either, but I'm sure my mom made an apple cake (forever trying to get fruit into us, we never had an iced cake until we could bake it ourselves and no chocolate either) I'm sure you had a wonderful day, and I know she did, she looked awfully happy there. How great that you were able to host. I love doing that.
Now we need pics of the girl wearing the dress.
Don't you hate it when you forget things that you've been storing and waiting on? I can't tell you how many times I forgot to use the Easter napkins and cups that I bought after Easter for cheap one year. I still have some of them. I think I finally started using them at random times.
Happy birthday, Melanie. Seven is an amazing age. Enjoy every day of it. And dance whenever you can.
@Mari ... turn around twice and your Alaina will be seven! Get all the baby sugar you can while the getting is good!
@irene ... apple cake, that sounds better than what we had! Melly did have a happy birthday and she's such a sweet little thing, so easy to please. Two cakes were better than one.
@Hobbit ... can't believe I didn't make her try that dress on. And yes, I often buy season-specific stuff, then forget about it. I often have to improvise. *sigh*
@Peter ... what a privilege to have you visit IHATH and leave a comment! Thanks for all the wonderful hours of reading. Yours is a rare and refreshing talent.
Sounds like a fairy tale birthday. No I don't remember my 7th birthday but I'm betting I had birthday cake and a present. My parents always made sure of that. Probably a little party too.
Cute little Melanie looks plum tickled with the cake and festivities! I hope she got lots of giggles during that night of celebration. And no, I don't remember my 7th birthday. It's all just a blur...
Happy Birthday to Miss Melanie!!
That's a Wonderful cake...For myself, I can't remember #7...I suppose it was uneventful.
hughugs