When I was a kid, my grandfather used to ask me the same question every time I had a birthday.
“Do you feel older?”
He’d then laugh and other adults would smile and shake their heads. Eventually, I got the joke and I’d smile and shake my head too. To wake up one day and feel older just because of the date on the calendar – it is quite a silly concept. (And then, of course, extrapolate that to today when most days I still feel like an eighteen year old in a 31 year old’s life. I have some catching up to do).
My girl, though? She woke up on Thursday, her third birthday, and I swear to you, she felt older.
Holding my hand on Thursday morning, she skipped and hopped on the way to school. Yes, skipped and hopped.
She cried a few tears and let out a few whimpers as I left her on the playground, but she did not scream and her tears were dry before I reached the parking lot.
She went to art class. The art class I had signed her up for but completely forgot to tell her about. With no prep (usually an essential for our sensitive girl), she went. And when I picked up my blue-green, pastel covered child that afternoon, I believed all the teachers when they told me ‘She really got into it!’
She hopped right onto the trike we bought her for her birthday and rode it all the way to the park.
notice the green hands. she really did get into it.
And at the park, she abandoned her favorite bucket swings and, instead, insisted on going ‘really fast’ on the big kid swing. She climbed and ran and played and oh my goodness, she is not a baby anymore.
the big kid swings, just like at school
She is 3. And she knows it. And she is blossoming into a running, jumping, confident, happy kid.
This week, I am thankful for…
… friends and family and everyone who made last Saturday the magical day that it was; your presence in our lives is such a blessing.
… sweet invites from friends and neighbors for playdates with our girl after the baby arrives; the brilliance of such an idea had not occurred to me until they offered.
… two scream-free drop-offs in a row! We are making progress on our school transition and it is so incredibly comforting.
… small, quiet, birthday celebrations; I love the big parties but also love the birthday itself – special dinner and cupcakes with just our little family.
… family game night… which right now is every night. Candyland, Uno, and some new favorites now fill our time between dinner and bed and I just love it.
… winding down. I can feel it starting. Projects and work and all of our other obligations are starting to wind down as we prepare for our boy.
… Fall. I really am falling in love with the season this year. I see pumpkin cupcakes in my very near future.
… the last few weeks of pregnancy. Now that things are winding down, I’m pausing long enough to savor the acrobatics and hiccups and closeness of this time.
Happy weekend, all. We’ve got a busy one and I plan to enjoy every minute.
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