The Baby Turns Six

Happy Birthday La La!

Day 151

October 1, 2013

Team Zybko

The baby of the family turned six today. 

Happy birthday La La, let’s celebrate!

I know it seems odd for me to be so cool about the years zipping by at warp speed.  I’m not even faking it. I swear. Totally cool with it. No big ole crocodile tears to wipe or muttering under my breath, saying something super predictable like, oh geez, where has the time gone or wow I can’t believe the youngest is six already. That is certainly my normal reaction about my kids growing up too fast. But not this time folks, so put your betting money back into your pocket before you loose it all. Today, for this birthday I want to celebrate the moment. Yesterday was La La’s big brothers birthday. They were actually both born on the same day, sharing October first as their official debut but that story is for another post. Some of the people in my life are more stoked than others about being written about here so I will be respectful and just whisper over the world wide web instead.

Happy Birthday Lil David. We LOVE LOVE LOVE you!

So back to me, I mean back to why I don’t feel sorry for me on this day. Today was a day to enjoy instead of a whimper and sulk with a face full of a corner piece of Freemans sheet cake with extra icing kinda day. A simple fact that hit me as I flipped the calendar to the 10^th month of the year. I can not in any way prevent time from continuing to roll on, even when it’s inches from my Nike’s and gathering momentum as it goes, taking us all with it.

 I woke Delilah up this morning with a gentle momma back rub and a terrible coffee breath rendition of happy birthday. She didn’t care in the least that my performance was weak and sleepy. She loves me just the way I am. I can assure you the feeling is mutual.

In the worn pages of my soccer mom memory bank I have more than once high lighted the six year of life as one of my favorites. A sweet season filled with innocent learning, toothless smiles, childish play and discovery. Ah yes, seasoned perfectly with genuine looks of love and homemade presents from the heart. Big double stuff things happening in this time frame. What they experience today are like big fat stepping stones, marking out their path to adult hood. What we see as we bend our necks down toward our children everyday as mothers is a preview of the people they are becoming. Days are long but years are fast, decades even faster. Today on her special day I saw this.

As she followed me around from room to room offering help as I did my chores I noticed how helpful she is.

When she asked me if I had a headache after I tried to rub sleep out of my eyes I noticed how compassionate she is.

While she urged her bother on sweetly to finish his schoolwork I noticed how encouraging she is.

During a thank you note writing lesson I noticed how thankful of the little things she is.

Offering her brother and sister some of her birthday money I noticed what a good sharer she is.

As she gave me a squeezy hug just for being her mommy and no other reason I realized how loving she is.

The day is done, I will never have another baby blow out only six little candles on a cake again. I realized that’s ok, it is simply the way it all works. Enjoy the who they are working on.

I stopped long enough to see into the future. We love who you are becoming Delilah Z and I hope your day was great. Just for the record, being your mommy is the best job in the whole wide world. Uh, one more thing sweety bug, are you gonna finish your piece of cake?