It’s hard to believe, but it’s been four years since Lisbeth and I went to the hospital, entering as a recently married couple with few worries and responsibilities, and emerging as a proud family of three, and with all responsibility and worry that comes with becoming a parent.
And now here we are. Ellen is no longer the baby or toddler that she was. She’s the poised and confident older sister that June adores, and a capable and social girl who enjoys day-care so much that she sometimes asks us on Saturdays when she can go back.
Four years is a big deal. This is without question the first year that she’s been fully aware that her birthday is coming, and what it means, both in terms of chronology and in terms of gifts and cake. And so this is the first year when I’ve felt like it was really a party for her, and not merely an excuse for her parents to have a party.
Last weekend we bought her her first pedal bike (which, due to apprehension on Ellen’s part and freezing temperatures, has not been ridden yet), but she’s still at an age when getting a packet of stickers from her grandparents in the mail minutes before the party starts can eclipse all the other gifts she got.
We had a great little party, with good friends, good food, lots of cake for the kids, and plenty of beer for the adults. It’s quite possible, in fact, that I had more fun than the kids did…
Wish I could have been there! Happy Birthday, Ellen.