Much like somebody else I know, Ellie woke me up Thursday morning to announce that she felt significantly older. In fact, she informed me, she had felt older in the middle of the night. As I was operating on four hours of sleep, I felt much older, too. How did we celebrate her birthday? We toured model homes and decided which rooms would be hers, then went out for pizza at a restaurant that encourages you to throw peanut shells on the floor. Good times.
Despite the fact that she is no longer the baby, she will always be my baby, and I always picture her as such. But evidence is mounting that she is well on her way to being All Grown Up. Kindergarten is almost over and her class is starting their transition-to-first-grade activities; she's been invited up to the next level in her gymnastics program (and has politely but firmly declined); she has a new, fancy bike and is pretty much ready to take on the word. I love so many things about her: her confidence, her sunniness, her generosity, her goofy sense of humor, her determination. She truly believes that life is a grand adventure, and it thrills me to my toes that I get to come along for the journey.
Happy birthday, Ellie-bear.
