Where did the time go?

Wednesday of this week my baby turns seven. Did you get that?? My baby will be SEVEN. For three years now I have known she wants to be known for anything but being a baby and has never been the type to pull the baby card. But it probably would have worked. I am just now letting go of the fact she doesn't need me to rock her to sleep. Yeah, I drug that out waaay long. That was like the last thing I finally let go and wouldn't have done it differently if someone paid me.

She is Miss Independent and loves to be in the middle of anything that involves dirt or maybe a 64 pack of fresh crayons. Her choice of pastime: Mia, riding her Huffy, watching the boys make their "Headless Productions" (watch out world, this is serious entertainment) and swimming like there's no tomorrow. One of her quirks is her famous hand puppet (see picture below). It has made every photo album for a couple of years now. It's always popping up in my camera.

Her birthday she wants to paint. I am secretly ecstatic and can't wait for the mini "Sips and Strokes" I am recreating. She can't wait to open her presents, she's asked for a green scooter. A green scooter she will have. All wrapped and ready.

Sometimes I look at her and think, I have a little girl and she is perfect. Her hazel eyes, freckles and scraggly red curls are the idea of gorgeous to me. She cleans up well but usually she is Sadie only when she's dirty from some hole she has dug and hair in her eyes that have fallen from her pigtails (her hairstyle of choice). Always choosing a t-shirt and shorts to wear everyday no matter how hard I try to convince her that girls wear leggings or skirts too and it doesn't mean they are "girlie girls". She owns the tom-boy role with great pride.

So again, another milestone. The boys are tweens, officially down to the very last crumb which is never left on either of their plate. Eating everything in sight, fast. Hair products are being asked for and girls are NOT gross to them. Their changes are fun for sure and happening almost at the same time as it seems like it always has been. I get double teamed by those two and there is never a dull moment. Yeah, that is a pig Riley is holding...

All this being said, I am a blessed mom. Three kids that really are joy to me. They keep me sane. They teach me lessens. They call me to a higher ground.