Bits: Five

Wednesday's come early because birthday celebrations can only wait so long. But first, two things.

Number one: Things with Mom happened so unexpectedly that it suddenly took over our lives without much time to spare. To clarify for those sweet prayer warriors out there, Mom's small intestines ruptured in two places. It was a pretty awful scene, according to the surgeon and Mom's overwhelming pain (and she's tough!), but both cancer and Chrone's were ruled out as the causes! Praise God! She still has quite a road ahead, with more decisions to make, and every prayer on her behalf means so much.

Number two: Alysse's recent sayings. I love when my kids hit that stage where their talking takes off because it is such an awesome thing to get a peek into their little minds. Lately she can repeat most anything, but the independent complete thoughts are blowing us away. Mostly because in our heads she still looks maybe a year old. Maybe.

Reality: Four months from TWO.

*At the stop of the stairs: "Mommy, where are ew??" (She'll holler this for any person or toy she cannot find).
*Whenever she gets excited, especially if 'nack (snack) is involved: "Ohhh, boy-eee!"
*Any time she leaves behind a toy, book, or person including the cashier who checked us out or a character on the page: "Bye, bye Pooh Bear. Wuv 'ew!"
*She loves to count high: "Eight, nine, ten, pehben, telve!"
*Favorite bedtime request: "Mama, I hungee! Apple? Owange?"

Talking about mostly in our heads, our first born turned five last week. Five??? Five. Half of a decade, kindergarten age, snatching that pre right out of schooler. In my head she still looks like this:

One of Daddy's absolute faves.

But, she's not. She's five and somehow, if I really admit it, that too seems fitting. She's always been older than her age, even when my eyes locked with hers on that first birthday afternoon.

While Joe has the big girls at church right now so I can catch up, my house is quiet, except for that cute littlest girl yelling "tittle, tittle" (tickle) to her stuffed animals upstairs. I sit with my coffee cup and, beyond my disbelief, really celebrate that I've had five years with this girl of mine.

Dearest Hope,

::Five of the things you dig at five years old.

Creating. Paper creations joyfully litter our house and you and Maddie explore with play-doh or clay almost every day. Many times its so you both can make believe your own cooking shows. Lucky me, I often get to be a taste testing part of the studio audience.

Technology. We have only an old computer and an iPod, generously gifted to us a couple of Christmases ago, and you love any chance you get to use either. And you are good. You had your Christmas camera figured out before we got a chance to unwrap the directions.

Adventures. You love when we go new places as a family, you love to window shop, you love to play and dream and notice it all.

Reading. I have pictures of you with books on your face as you sleep from when you were just a wee thing all the way until now. I can hardly ever say no to a request for a new book, and I get such joy out of how much my yeses thrill you to death!

Pretend. It seems like every day you have another new costume design in place, another new plot for you and your beloved sisters to act out. This day you commissioned an old tee of Daddy's for a Backyardigan outfit and wore the huge thing around the house for days.

Best Uniqua and Austin faces, silly girls

::Another thing you've dug since early fall, when we learned about space, is the dream of becoming an astronaut. Oh you've reasoned it all out-- about how you'll juggle becoming a mommy with traveling beyond the earth. Very cool. So after Nana had been home from the hospital a week, we decided to have a small and intimate party to celebrate your star gazing ways. Because, girl, do you enjoy a good party.

We shopped Nana's house and literally found everything we needed, save our trip out with Alysse early one morning while Nana and Maddie still rested. You picked out some space themed scrapbook papers and stickers and, most excitedly, some wooden star wands and diy party hats. A trip we needed to make already to Whole Foods yielded marble cake batter, chocolate frosting, "lunar" lemonade, sugar cookie dough for stars, and just a few remaining items to make homemade pizzas for you and your sisters and "out of this world" chili for the big people. I don't want to forget you drawing and handing a picture of the planets to the grocery clerk because you were so excited.

The guest list was small, purposely not to overwhelm Nana, but you didn't care. You thanked every person profusely (giving and receiving gifts is DEFINITELY one of your major love languages!) But, most of all, you had Nana... and as you had told the nurse who tried to cheer your tear-filled face earlier in the month at the hospital, "My favorite gift is my Nana! My Nana!"

We had the best fun.

::Later on the next week when we got home we had "Hope Day" and this is the first year I didn't have to remind you about your opportunity to plan the day. I often joke that you are my cruise director anyhow as you wake up raring to go each new morning, filled to the brim with ideas for how our day can unfold. It took you little time to ask if the day could look like this:

Chocolate pumpkin muffins to share at Community Bible Study followed by Chick-Fil-A afterwards. Then please, oh please, a trip to our favorite used book store. The place with the most perfect ledge for examining searched out treasures.

A pajama kind of afternoon followed by breakfast for dinner, bubble baths, and "Annie" (highly recommend the Disney version for little eyes to watch).

Yes, we had the best fun. My, you are getting so old.

We've had a lot of fun in your five years on this earth and we've weathered a lot of change and transition. You've lived in three different houses in two states and three different cities, with other arrangements in between. You've learned a lot about saying goodbye and starting again already. You've welcomed two sisters into our fold and handled it with amazing grace and acceptance. You have asked Jesus into your heart; you are both gregarious and sometimes shy. You are determined and passionate and sometimes very stubborn, creative and kind. Always quick to say you are sorry. And you are funny, thoughtful. Very, very funny and thoughtful.

You, thank God, are mine and Daddy's.

We couldn't be more proud and how we all love you... to the moon and back!

Always,
Mama