You've come a long way, baby!

Today was Catherine's 7th birthday, and she was so excited. Last night, as I was drying her hair after her shower, she sang "Happy Birthday" the whole time. Her excitement was contagious. The more she looked forward to the big day, I couldn't help but feel it myself. I really wanted her to have a great day, and I really think she did.

It started out at about 6:05am. She got up and came into our bedroom before her alarm even went off. That is unheard of. It usually takes quite a bit of poking, prodding, bribing, threatening, and yelling to get her butt out of bed, even when her alarm has been going off for 15 minutes. So we snuggled for a few minutes before I had to hop in the shower. When Alex came in the room a few minutes later, I heard her immediately say to him, "What's today?"

His answer: "Thursday."

"No, I mean what's special about today?"

"I don't know!!!"

"What special day is it for me?"

"Ohhhhh, happy birthday, Catherine!"

She was so happy that she got to remind him. So she got dressed and decided to put her hair up in a pony tail. This is a relatively new thing for her--she just recently figured out how to get all of her hair in the pony, and then twist it around to make sure it stays tight enough. I didn't have the heart to tell her that she should probably leave it down. She was happy with it, and I think she saw it as "special day = special hair-do." Good for her. She also added some jewelry to the ensemble today. Catherine is and never has been a "girly-girl." So I made sure to tell her how great she looked wearing the necklace she made from the bead kit she got from Sharkey & JP for Christmas. She was all ready to head out for her big day.

Last week she told me that she would like to bring some chocolate chip cookies to school for her birthday treat. So Jason bought enough for everyone in her class to have 2 cookies. Her teacher gave her the option to give everyone 2 cookies or else give her classmates 1 cookie, and then pass the rest out to others throughout the school. She decided to do the latter. So she grabbed a friend, and they spent the next half hour delivering cookies to other teachers, the principal, etc. Her teacher told me that when they got back, they had given out all 24 cookies! She had an ulterior motive here--she wasn't just spreading the love. A lot of the people who they gave cookies to gave her a little something in return. She got pencils, stickers, all kinds of little treasures. This added much enjoyment to her special day.

Last year, the American Cancer Society's annual "Daffodil Days" was close to her birthday. So Jason bought some at work, and gave them to her as part of her gift. She loved it! I was really surprised that it meant anything to her. So anyway, he got her flowers again this year, and had them sent to school, so that it would add to the "specialness" of her day. It worked. Her teacher said that everyone thought it was the greatest thing that her dad sent her flowers (and a bunny!). Truth be told, Jason forgot to order them the last 2 nights, so I called a florist this morning as soon as I got to work. She doesn't need to know that! Anyway, she absolutely loves her roses and her bunny!

Thinking back to about 5 or so years ago, I never would have thought that Catherine would be such a sweet little girl. She was a very difficult toddler. She was very independent and had her own ideas about how things should be done. I always joke that her "terrible two's" lasted for about 3 years. If I could have somehow figured out how to get her some nourishment without actually having to feed her, I would have been the happiest mom on earth. Mealtimes were always a nightmare. There was just no pleasing her, and it can be hard to like a kid like that. But now I look at how much she's changed, and what a great disposition she has. She's got a great attitude, has lots of friends, and is doing great in school. Her teacher says that she'd take her home if she could. (I asked if I could call her sometime) She's always willing to give out hugs, whereas when she was younger, that's the last thing she wanted, even if she got hurt. She says the funniest things, and I can't believe how much she's changing and growing up. I really enjoy being with her now. I just hope we can keep things this way, even through the dreaded teenage years. Happy Birthday, Catherine. I love you!