Birthday girl

Kate turned 6 today. The day began with Jack coming into my room and telling me I had to get up, because The birthday girl wanted me to. I said, ok. Went downstairs, and as is often the case, she was sitting at the breakfast table hiding behind the cereal box. Why, where is Kate? I said. And she laughed and said, "I'm here! Daddy!"

She opened her cards and presents, properly appreciative of most everything. I know she will like the Amelia Earhart book one day. Oohed and Aahed at the big-eyed stuffed toys, and then she and Jack played with them until school. They have a ceremony where the new stuffed toys are welcomed by the older ones. Pretty cute really.

At pickup in the afternoon, she was wearing a Birthday Girl hat. We came home and played the Princess and the Pea game, then she had Daisies after that (girl scouts). We brought cupcakes. When I left she was running back and forth with the other Daisies, playing a game whose rules only little girls know.

We went to dinner at Elevation Burger, her choice. We all said what the favorite part of our day was (for three of us it was dinner, for Kate it was running around with her friends). Then Kate talked for what seemed like a good 15 minutes, telling us who was sitting at each of the different tables in her classroom. I had asked who sat at her table, and she went above and beyond. "And at the YELLOW table it's Julietta and...."

Going back home, we briefly stopped to say Hi to cousins playing in the street. I think Kate picked up leaves, sang a song of some sort. Oh, I know: "I love being six....I am very glad to. Be. Sixxxxxx!" I know that at bedtime, after we read Frog and Toad for about the hundredth time, and we turned out the lights, she sang. The song went something like, "I love school....because at school....you see your friends....and on your birthday, you get a birthday hat! I....love.....school!"

When I left, Kate gave me a squeezer, which is what she calls a big hug. They are pretty awesome. Good night, Kate.