Spice Girl is Six!

Spice Girl is six today. In honor of her birthday, I went back and read what I wrote about her last year. Mostly I talked about the day of her birth, which I still remember vividly. I simply cannot believe that was six years ago. Where has the time gone?

My baby is in kindergarten now. She’s learning to read, do basic math and most importantly, she’s learning how to act appropriately and follow rules. That was our biggest worry when she went off to kindergarten. We know that she’s headstrong and sassy. If something is going on that she doesn’t like, she’ll be sure to bitch. One on hand, I’m proud that she’s assertive enough to stand up for herself and anyone else she thinks has been wronged. On the other hand though, she lacks a filter and will just say things without taking another person’s feelings into consideration. I was told many stories when she was in preschool, about the times that someone would want to play with her and she had no interest, so she’d say so… and just walk away. It’s hard for a mama to teach kids how to stand up for themselves, yet at the same time, how to be aware of the impact of your words on other people.

Spice loves her new bedroom and playroom in the new house. She has arranged and rearranged things a thousand times. The playroom has been set up to resemble a doll/stuffed animal sleepover, a restaurant with tables with menus and place settings, an art studio, dollhouse village, etc. Her imagination knows no limit.

She’s just as obsessive compulsive about weird things as ever. She now needs to “organize her dinner” before she eats it. This basically means that she separates all the food into different piles and eats one type of food at a time. She separated a dinner of prosciutto, pasta and peas with freakish accuracy. I’m surprised the parmesan was allowed to mingle with the other items.

She asked Santa to bring her hangers from Build a Bear so she could hang up her animals’ clothes when they aren’t being worn. Given the expression on the sales clerks face, I believe that I am the first person in the history of that store to ask if I could buy just hangers. This after making that damn coyote wearing a tutu last year.  They really should start sending me Christmas cards.

I didn’t really pay attention to this until my mother said something over the weekend. Apparently there is an extreme level of organization in Spice’s closet. She took my niece on a tour over it this weekend and explained in great detail that “shirts go here, dresses here, tutus here…” Given that she refused to sleep under her sheet and comforter (because it will mess up her bed), I shouldn’t be surprised.

Tonight we will celebrate Spice’s birthday with a scavenger hunt. Last night, EN and I drew pictures of different things in our house to give her clues to where she needs to look next. The final clue will lead her to the Closet Hopper where she will find the gift that she wants most in this world… the Barbie Princess Dream Castle.

I’m amazed when I look back over the six years of her life… her funny habits, her ability to give “hairy eyeballs” even as an infant, the year of pictures that she refused to smile for, her silly jokes and wacky sense of humor. I love who she is right now, in this moment… And I think I’m going to love watching her take on the world… even if I am just a teensy bit scared-for the world.

Happy Birthday Princess Spice Girl!

xoxo

Ice Princess