The BirthDay

The night before Her long anticipated birthday, Little One had been busy with a long day of playing outside, art projects, and a picnic dinner in the yard which turned into running in the sprinklers which became mixing vats of mud with Her toes which evolved into an epic mud fight with Her mother and sister.  A neighbor or two might have become involved.  There was only one minor injury. 
After extensive washing up, She was worn out and put to bed early. 
But the next day was Her BIRTHDAY.  And after She was tucked in, I could hear Her little feet pittering and pattering about Her room until nearly 11pm.  Choosing the perfect outfit, laying out jewelry and hair ties and pretend make-up and setting Her dolls out in just such a way that She would be SO ready to turn four in the morning.  She was that excited. 
Despite the late night antics, She'd been told She could get up as early as She wanted on Her birthday, and hopped into my covers at 6am, eyes shining. 
"I'm four.  I'm FOUR! Did you know the sun is coming up, and it's going to be my birthday?!?!"
And it was.
Sometime in the night, after even She had fallen asleep, the sun had passed the exact place in it's orbit it had been four laps ago, at the moment She had entered the world. 
That day, we'd both done not much else but sleep.  This time around,  it was cuddles and cheers and singing Missy out of bed.  A parade down the stairs and what music shall we have today Little One? Oh, Broadway Musicals of course. 
Three apron strings tied, and three sets of hands poured and mixed and washed and chopped. 
There was waffles and turkey bacon, fruit and soy milk.  A recorded birthday song from Daddy, which She played again and again, kissing the computer screen. 
And then the best surprise, a phone call from Daddy, so She could tell him all about being FOUR.  I wish I was able to share the photos, guys.  They are priceless.  Her face!
We had to say goodbye, but then there were presents from Grampa and Nana.  Even Little Miss got a package.  The pretty paper flew and the ooohs and aahhhhs poured out.
They played with the novelties while I cleaned up, and then Little One picked out the outfits for the day.  Because She loves to match Her sister and wanted to be "the fanciest ever", She chose the special shiny dresses J and I had brought them from Bahrain. Accessorized with Her new dress up set (clip on earrings!) we set out for the day.  She'd been allowed to choose to do whatever She wanted. 
So we spent the whole day at the children's museum with Her best friend and longtime love, O. 
We took a break for lunch at a Chinese food buffet (Her choice) which was horrible but all the kids loved.  I really don't think it's possible for my girls to have fit that much food into their little bellies.  It boggles the mind.  It must have been birthday luck that the fortune cookie package She chose actually had two cookies in it somehow.  Her fortunes read:
"You will have a happy and peaceful life" and
"Your talents will receive the admiration they deserve"
Which I think about sums up the exact luck She'd like to have. 
The children's museum is awesome. We spent the entire day there, stopped by the grocery store, then headed home where the girls played "children's museum" (since five hours is not enough) while I made Her special dinner.  She was allowed to choose any dinner She wanted, in the whole wide world.  She could have said cheerios or hot dogs or hot dogs with cheerios on top, and I was braced and determined to just let Her have it.  She chose baked salmon, edamame, and salad with terriaki dressing.  She'd also been given the choice of any special birthday dessert in the whole world, and She chose "one candy from the candy dish".  So the candle went in the salmon. 
Throughout the day She had calls from family and serenades of Happy Birthdays and felt very loved. 
After dinner and bath, we read Missy Her favorite book (Mrs Wow Never Wanted A Cow), and tucked Her in.  Then Little One and I looked through Her baby book, reading all the details and touching Her first lock of hair, Her hospital bracelet.  We held Her feet up to Her footprints and saw how much they'd grown.  We looked at the photo album of Her first days home.
After the lights went out I told Her the story of a little baby who was born exactly four years ago; how She came into the world, who was there to greet Her, and how She'd grown to be this amazingly smart, loving girl who danced wonderful dances, ran fast, and sang beautiful songs to a family that had loved Her every minute, all the time, since before She was born until forever. 
From reading the baby book, Little One remembered Her favorite lullabies as a baby, and asked me to sing them.  I did.  She remembered that She'd loved to sleep snuggled into Her mommy's arms, and asked me to snuggle Her to sleep. 
"Now, Little One", I chided, "Even on your birthday, you have to go to sleep like a big girl when it's time for bed."
"But Mommy.  Even if I'm so big four years old, when I'm a baby I liked snuggles and even now I like to snuggle you.  Can't I get big for snuggles later on another birthday?  I'm getting bigger and bigger later on."
I looked down and all the times I'd held Her as an infant, sleeping in my arms, flashed before me like a jolt of lightning.  I looked into Her sweet little four-year-old face (four isn't really such a big number, you know) and I knew that She was right.  That the moments She will want me to hold Her will flash by just as fast.  She will be too big to snuggle to sleep on some other birthday, it's true. 
For now, I'm proud of how much She has grown and learned and become.  I'm proud to call Her my Big Girl and I'm happy to see Her propelling forward and upward with time, growing into Her own fantastic person.  I'll never want to keep Her back.  But, since She asked, and won't for many birthdays more.  This time I was happy to fit Her into my hug with my arms wrapped around, and hold Her a little while longer.  Just until She fell asleep.