She's officially a handful!

Well, with all of the hustle and bustle that it required to pack and move my family across 4 states, my kid's birthdays kind of got glossed over. And well Gracie's birthday was one of those that I consider to be a milestone. So, although this post is late...Well, it's still better late than never. On June 4th, the day before our big move, my baby girl turned 5.

We have a tradition in our home that on your birthday, you get to eat whatever you want for breakfast. The kids have always looked forward to this yearly custom. This year Grace chose a Dr. Pepper float for her celebratory breakfast. She and I had a few special moments together that morning before the boys woke up as she drank her float and I presented her with a gift. We had already given her all of her gifts at her party....except for this one. I had been hanging onto it because I knew it would be her favorite. It's the beautiful maya wrap sling that she is holding her baby in for the above photo. Many of you know that Grace is very pro-attachment parenting. In fact her views on breastfeeding can be downright militant at times. LOL! For several years, she has used an old baby blanket with a hair tie around it as a soft carrier for her babies. There are no pictures of the look on her face when I gave her the sling, since it was just she and I in the morning glow of the gentle Texas sun...but I saved a photograph in my mind, and let's just say..it's a good one.

I cannot believe it's been 5 years since she came into our world. I feel so blessed that I have had the opportunity to be at home with her during these formative years. She is so different from her brother. I thought I had being a mom down to a tee. But..there were lessons in life and in motherhood that Hunter couldn't teach me, and so by the grace of God, she was sent to us. She is assertive, and she has taught me that I don't always have to be the one in charge. It's nice to have someone else around sometimes who brings new ideas and likes to lead. She is determined, and willing to persist in the face of difficulty. At age 3 her persistence was most often seen during times of struggle--like when I would tell her, "No!", and she wanted to hear, "Yes!". Now days, her persistence shines through in moments like yesterday when she decided she would finally like to tie her own shoes, and mastered that skill in less than 10 minutes. She has always been very opinionated, especially about what she will wear. When I was 13, I shaved the underside of my hair. When I wore my hair down, you couldn't see it, but when it was in a ponytail, you could see my half bur. I remember my dad saying, "Well, it's your hair, and if you want it to look dumb, I don't care, because it's not my hair." LOL! So much for rebellion..These words of his, though I don't repeat them aloud, often echo in my head. I used to voice my own very opinionated feelings to her about how she should dress...She has taught me to just keep my mouth shut, and let my father's words echo through my head. So, happy birthday to my baby girl. I can't wait to see what the next 5 years bring for us. Keep those big brown eyes open wide and full of wonder, because they make us all want to see the world the way that you do.