In exactly six months Ava will be three. Three seems so much older to me than two. It's only been six months since she turned two... boy has it flown by. I imagine the next six will zoom by even faster!
When she woke up today I said, "Happy half birthday!" She looked at me like I was loony. Birthdays have always been a big deal to me. I used to anxiously count down the days until my birthday, beginning at 364, and made sure that everyone else in my path was aware of just how many more days until I turned a year older. And we're not just talking the big ones - you know 5, 13, 16, 18... nope, every single birthday. I want my kids to be just as excited about their birthdays, alright, maybe not JUST as excited. Looking back, I was pretty obnoxious.
So, I've decided to celebrate half birthdays as well. I'm not talking all out with presents, balloons, guests, etc. I just want my kids to be excited about being halfway through a year. Think of how important a half is to children. Have you ever heard a five year old say they're just five, when they're actually 5 1/2? Those extra months are important to kids. If only they knew that when they grew older, being "-and-a-half" meant being closer to a year older... and in my case, 30 (3 1/2 more years). Eek!
When I explained to Ava what a half birthday was she asked, "Is today my Cinderella party?" "Six more months, honey. When you turn three." That did the trick. I did, however, promise cake. And Ava got to pick dinner for the night - homemade pizza bagels. Actually, her first choice was Chuck E. Cheese, but given that we're currently living off of savings and student loans, wasting money on cardboard pizza and a robotic singing rat just wasn't in the cards. Try explaining that to a 2 1/2 year old. "How about we make pizza bagels together. And your special job can be putting the cheese on?!" She loves to help. Such a big girl! Oh, and she loves cheese!
So, tomorrow morning when Ava wakes up, she'll be closer to three than two. Three opens up a whole new world of possibilities and activities for us. Three means soccer, the big girl ballet class, jumping on the big trampoline (Ava told me last week at gymnastics that she'd do that when she turned three)... and preschool. And preschool means that soon enough she'll be old enough for kindergarten. WOW! Didn't we just bring her home from the hospital, like, yesterday.
I know, I know, I'm getting way ahead of myself. But I think it really hit me today that she's a little girl now. She's still my baby, but to everyone else, she's a little girl. Weird.
I guess it's true. That trite piece of advice that every relative, friend and stranger gave me when Ava was a baby, and now with Jax too: "Enjoy it. It goes by so quickly."
Trust me. I do!
Happy Half Birthday, Doodlebug!
Stay Squishy...
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