I've been thinking of Shaelyn as "4" for so long, it's weird to think that today she actually turned 4. Michael and I had been away from the girls since Wednesday night on very our first vacation away from the kids, so Saturday night was a very long one. The girls were clingy, but actually tearful about having to come home. They wanted to stay at Miss Andrea's house. Michael and I were rested and rejuvinated, but exhausted. There was a list a mile long of things to accomplish for Shaelyn's birthday the following day. And a Sunday School lesson to work on.
As I tucked Shaelyn in bed, I reminded her that she would be 4 the next day. "But I don't want to be 4. I like being 3. Do I have to turn 4?"
It was like she had read my mind. As much as I love new stages of learning, independence, and growth, each year (or sometimes month, it feels like) moves the girls further from a Mommy-centric world to a world of their own. They have their own opinions, ideas, friends, tastes, and personalities. This I love. But they also have less need for hugs, snuggles, reassurances, hand-holding, and overall Mommy affection. This I hate.
However, Shaelyn's aging has brought some wonderful, and sometimes much-needed, blessings. She has learned to better master her emotions, and her need to control every situation. She has become (a very little) more willing to work and pull her weight. She has become more responsible, especially in her role as big sister. And she has a larger capacity of understanding - of the world around her, of the reasons for why things are the way the are, of her relationships with other people, and of the difference between the bad, good, better, and best things of this world.
She also gets birthdays. Gets that they are special days. Where you get presents. And cake. And pretty much get to call all the shots. So of course she requested her own cake - a strawberry Mater and the Ghostlight cake. And requested pink wrapping paper on her presents. And wanted to eat cake for every single meal all day. This request was not granted.
The rest, at the labor of her already tired mother, were granted on Saturday night in the wee hours of the morning.
This morning, as Michael was leaving for his early-morning church meetings, he looked in the fridge to find a Mater and the Ghostlight cake. And a stack of pink presents. And a special "birthday girl" star necklace to wear at church this morning. And the birthday party invitations waiting by the door, ready to hand out to little friends in Primary. All non-existent when he had gone to bed. And he said to himself, "Now there is a Mommy who loves her little girls."
I'm glad he sees the reason for my insanity.
"'I know some good games we could play,' said the cat. 'I know some new tricks,' said the Cat in the Hat. 'A lot of good tricks. I will show them to you. Your mother will not mind at all if I do.'"
And as for the awesome, pink, princess bike from Grammy and PawPaw...
"The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day."
Luckily, we did not take these words to heart.
Mom - I tried to upload a video of Shaelyn riding her new bike. It was awesome. And with our new camera, even more awesome! But the file is HUGE, and it was taking hours to upload. So since you are the only one who would want to watch it anyway, just wait til you're here for Christmas and watch them all, 'k?
Thanks for the bike!
