Happy Birthday, My Eldest

On the day Inwe arrived into our world, I rode the highs of birth hormones, reveling in my little girl with big eyes. While all those wacky hormones have disappeared, I still look at her and discover bliss. Her messy hair, arms covered in temporary tatoos, and a chin that had to come from her dad all combine to make me smile.

She's six. Of all the adjectives I would use to describe this child, I would choose intelligent, artistic, and caring. Because she is the oldest, she feels responsibility for her siblings. Alas, she also delights in annoying both of them.

This birthday must be different. She'll have no friends from school for a party. Family only. Not that she expects a big party. Her first large party was last year. I'll bake a cake with blue and green icing as per her request. My sister will visit. We'll take her to breakfast and let her make the decisions for the day. She's shopped for clothes with money from my mother and her great-aunt. Buying her own clothes thrilled her. That's big for a six year old.

Happy Birthday to my eldest. Oh, I love her.