The Young And The Restless

I have about a thousand adjectives to describe Molly (which seems appropriate given how strong a foothold MadLibs have taken in our house. Thanks Grammy, Megan, and Erin -- this is a direct result of all the Thanksgiving MadLib madness.We could come up with a fairly wacky post if I played that way but I'll refrain). I've said most of them before and they continue to hold true. She's a proud, zany, booty-shaking, bossy, caring, smart, kind, helpful, stubborn, snuggly, loving, brave little creature who both really cares what other people think and very determinedly marches to the beat of her own (unseen, unheard) drummer. Her highs are high and her lows are... well... dramatic. She is not even keeled, not by any means, but that makes her her and adds some pretty exciting spice to our life. Mostly, I think of her as so much fun and so enjoyable as she comes up with yet another brilliant idea that everyone must embrace RIGHT NOW. She cries easily, latches onto things strongly, and she and she alone decides when it is time to move on (prime example being Spanish school. After weeks and weeks of tears at drop off, she suddenly decided two weeks ago that she was over being sad. She apparently loves Spanish school now. SERIOUSLY?!). She's also loves special time, being read to (and, very exciting for all of us, she just read her first book on her own! Sounding out evvvvverrrrrry word), baking, make-believe, special treats, climbing, balancing, running, chasing, just going. Her world has expanded this year in so many ways and she's mostly okay with that. There are challenges, naturally, but she is embracing change much better than she has in the past. She is a great companion and I thoroughly enjoy the special time that she and I have this year, in her last year, before full time school. We've been talking a lot about compassion this fall and giving to others and while this remains a largely concrete concept for her, she's fully turning the ideas over in her head and adding shades of gray. She has a big heart, which I think can make her feel overwhelmed sometimes, but she's discovering the roots of who she is and what's important. I admire her tenacity in tackling bigger thoughts, feelings, and issues since I might be just a wee bit impatient, but I hope I'm ultimately supporting that growth. It's very cool to watch the changes in feeling and thinking and bear witness to the possibilities.

Five feels like a big birthday to me. It's been five exciting years -- I feel like my brain power has significantly diminished but that my ability to see people and their actions in their purest forms -- their love, excitement, sadness, kindness -- has grown immensely, largely due to the little whippersnapper who came into our lives that snowy winter. As I try and teach her things, I humbly acknowledge that she teaches me so much more. She teaches me the power of my words and actions. She teaches me that we're all special but we're no better than anybody else. She teaches me that it's okay to cry and not to know answers. "I don't know" has become a more and more common answer around here. She teaches me that it's okay to fail but that you have to pick yourself up again. These are all expectations that I have for her and that she reminds me I have to have for myself. She's a good egg, this little (sorry, big) Molly. I'm honored today, as I am every day, to be her mom. 

Her superhero friend birthday bash. Please tell me you can see the Wonder Woman logo on that cake... somehow...

I did say zany, no?

Photobombing the carousel picture

Her actual-birthday cake.

She had a better reaction to her ice-cream cake than her brother did...

Happy to get a few big-girl presents...

Including some Playmobil, which...

allows the adults to have some fun, too.