My Birthday

Yesterday was my 39th birthday! I happen to love my birthday and really don't care that it means I'm a year older. It's a good excuse to celebrate, in whatever way happens to be convenient. Now that the kids are a bit older, they look forward to it at least as much as I do, which makes it even more fun. Our older daughter absolutely hounded Mike about getting me birthday presents and was practically jumping out of her skin waiting for me to open them yesterday evening.

I didn't do anything exciting during the day. I spent the morning at the dentist, which most people would see as a horrible way to spend a birthday. It was an hour without kids where I didn't have to do anything but sit there, which is a rare thing in my world. That may be a pathetic way to look at it, but it worked for me! I ran some errands afterwards, spent a bit of time with our little one, and then picked the older two up from school and took them to swimming. Mike came home early and made tacos for all of us for dinner and we had a lovely evening together.

These are the beautiful orchids Mike sent me yesterday. I love orchids, but my track record with them hasn't been great. I'm hoping I'll be able to keep these going for longer because they're really gorgeous and add a lovely touch of color to the house.

First Day of Preschool

Our youngest started preschool this week. She was SO excited to finally get to go to school like her brother and sister. On her first day, I walked her to the classroom to meet her teachers and she went right in and made herself at home immediately. She barely looked up when I told her good-bye since she was already busy cutting and coloring what I later learned was a birthday card for me. When I picked her up, her teachers said she fit right into the class and it was as if she'd always been there.

So now she'll be heading off to school two afternoons each week and I'll have a couple of hours to myself. It will be nice to be able to work out without the time limits of the child care center at the Y, but it's very strange not having my little shadow with me. It's the beginning of her separation from me, the start of her growing up and entering into the world on her own terms. It's an amazing process to witness, but it's also the clearest sign so far that she's no longer my baby. And I'll miss that.