Five at last

Today is middle daughter's birthday. No more sleeps. It is today.

Yesterday as we were snuggling on the couch, I told middle daughter in a pretend sad voice, "This is the last day I can hold my four year old girl. What am I going to do? After this I won't have a four year old to hold?"

After a bit of carrying on, middle daughter's eyes began to tear up and I knew I had taken the teasing too far. I asked what was wrong and she told me that she was sad that I could never hold her again.

I explained that I will always hold her- even when she is six.

Then I told her about the day she was born. She loves to hear about it. And she reminds me that she had hair on her ears. And a wrinkled forehead. And that she was born on her grandma's birthday. That makes her day extra special. And she was named after her other grandma. How lucky can one little girl be?

I love reliving that day. The births of my children are some of my favorite moments to remember. I did my best work on those days.

And so today is the day of the pink balloons, Dora pinatas, Barbie toys, cake and lots of laughs. But more than any gift we could give her, she has given us more.

In five years she has given us:

• hours and hours of make-believe kitty play
• shared snuggles on the couch, watching Dora
• dozens of batches of cookies she has helped make
• multiple opportunities to read favorite picture books
• smiles when I check on her at night and find her on the floor- her favorite place to rest her little sleeping body
• many chances to pick her up, dust her off, bandage an owie and send her happily on her way
• smiles when she reminds us that the Salt Lake Temple is her temple- and she is getting married there
• invaluable service in being our garden harvester
• joy in observing her gentle care for the canine
• a willing dance partner any time we are able
• creativity in expanding our snacking options
• introducing us to absolute determination in standing one's ground as a four year old
• pause to realize that she is content to just be- to be herself, to play on her own, to enjoy creating her own world to inhabit
• opportunities to learn and grow as parents

I feel so blessed to have such a daughter.

And we are prepared to celebrate the dickens out of this day. And tomorrow will begin preparation for middle daughter's sixth birthday.

It's in 364 sleeps, you know.