May 27

Up at 6:00am, Penny and I quietly celebrated her birthday with a strawberry shortcake and her first wish. Picked up from school, packed up with family and her best friend, we headed to Rehoboth and arrived in time to celebrate her birthday at the beach.

May 28

With everyone gathered, and at a more reasonable hour, we sang Happy Birthday once more and she made her second wish.
For Penny’s birthday scavenger hunt her clues led her to her favorite shops and some of her favorite things to do in Rehoboth.

May 29

After we celebrated her, she had something in store for us. Penny planned a Rehoboth Beach edition Amazing Race for Lucas, Anthony and Oliver, and myself to compete. We raced around town, we solved puzzles and made crafts, we harassed strangers and we finished with a foot race to Funland. And yes, I pushed Lucas out of the way to secure my win.

The first time bringing a friend to our beach home was a wish granted. Independent and 13 they got to experience the town together and create so many special memories.

June 5th

Her first year competing at Creative Dance Center, Penny has created some incredible new friendships. Her wish was to celebrate with them too.

Unassuming, grounded, steadfast, determined, empathetic, thoughtful, industrious and kind. She loves a great bargain, solving riddles, practicing handstands, headstands, front walkovers, back walkovers, cooking, baking, laughing and dancing. Reading makes her head hurt but she can build anything, instructions or not. She is reasonable and at times emotional, calm and at times theatrical, but mostly just silly, adoring her big brother all the time and annoyed by her little brother most of the time. She never takes offense to anything I say but tells me, with her sweet eyes, when I hurt her feelings. Since the day she was born she has had my heart and I have had hers.

Keep making your wishes, Penny, and I will grant as many as I can for as long as you’ll let me.