Tuesday, October 06, 2009

sugar-flavored honey

Today was my little girl's big day.

Despite spending two miserable hours of the night retching, she woke up in high spirits, exclaiming in raspy voice, "I'm four!!! I can't believe I'm actually four!!!" With nothing short of sheer delight, she opened gifts from Grandma and proclaimed, "I have the perfect grandma." (similar reaction when she opened her package from other grandma this evening)

I'm so swamped with Saturday's party preparations that I didn't do a thing special for her during the day. Still she declared it her "best birthday ever" and showered everyone with praise and affection all day long. Her zest and appreciation for life never cease to amaze and inspire me. If anything bears the potential to be enjoyable or beautiful, Ellie will discover it and make it so.

She's tried to make it clear to me that she's a "big girl" now, but she'll always be my baby girl. She'll always be the one who introduced me to a love and affection so profound it brings me to laughter and tears in the same moment of reflection. I consider being her mother my greatest accomplishment, my greatest joy.

Happy happy birthday to my sweetie pie, my sugar-flavored honey, my Ellie-belly bouncing bundle of wonderful. I am oh so proud to call you mine.

8 comments:

Mish said...

You make me cry! I love Ellie so much!

nimbus said...

A tear came to my eye. Thanks for being such a great mom to Ellie.

Joe and Christie said...

She gets the great perspective on life from her Mama ;)

Wish I could be there for the fab par-tay!

QueenScarlett said...

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRILLIANT ELLIE!

Tana said...

Happy Birthday Ellie. Wish we lived closer!

Cathi said...

It's just incredible how quickly she's grown up into a little girl. I can't believe she's four. It's of no surprise to me that she has such an inexhaustible zest for life--she is your (both of you) child. Happy Birthday Ellie! Hopefully we'll get to see her before she's 5...

Stephanie said...

Tiff! I can't believe how big your kids are getting! And you're so close. We need to plan a get together...preferably w/ some dessert :) I miss you! Looks like life is going well.
XOXO

Amy said...

That second to last paragraph really got me. I feel the same way about my baby girl (who is now 8!).