Monday 28 January 2008

Birthday Girl

Daughter #3, the baby of the family, is 7 today. Blimey. What happened to those years?

Now, I do genuinely believe that I’m lucky enough to have one of the best jobs in the world (right up there with being a chocolate taster for Cadburys or James D’Arcy’s dresser) but once in a while I raise my head from my computer, stop thinking about new ways to describe kissing and realise that Real Life is whizzing by around me.

Seven marks the end of infancy and the beginning of Big-Girldom, I think. This year she’ll start to lose her baby teeth and her smile will change forever, and she’ll probably stop saying things like 'trildun' instead of children and 'sammich' for sandwich. I guess that has to be a good thing, just in case she wants to be a news reader or speaker of the House of Commons, but jeez, it’ll be a sad day for me.

All in all it’s a big year for birthdays here, with Daughter #1 becoming a teenager in a couple of weeks and Daughter #2 reaching double figures in March. Thank goodness it’s my husband who hits 40 this year and not me. That really would be too much to bear...

10 comments:

Kate Hewitt said...

Happy Birthday to your daughter! I completely relate to the time whizzing by feeling. Those first few years with children seem to crawl by--for me anyway--but now that they're a little older (9, 6, and 3 in my case) everything has speeded up most alarmingly. I hope your daughter enjoys her special day...

Kate

Kate Hardy said...

Happy birthday to your littlest - hope she has a fab day.

Know exactly what you mean about time whizzing by.

Amanda Ashby said...

Yeah, wouldn't want to be turning 40 this year. Especially not in three months time because that would totally suck. Apparently.

Anyway, happy birthday to that girl of yours. Molly is sending her a big birthday wave (and if she had her way, a decorated stone mouse complete with googly eyes and pompom ears. Let's just say I'm pleased the holidays are nearly over)

Kate Hardy said...

Turning 40 isn't that bad. You just have to make the party last for a month. (Tip from the wise, here *g*)

Unknown said...

Kate, you have the same lovely symmetrical gap between your children as I do (I like it because it makes it seem like I'm the kind of well-organised person who planned it that way, instead of being taken by surprise every single time...) It's true, the years seem to get shorter and go by more quickly as they get older and the fact that it's such a cliche doesn't make it any easier to believe or come to terms with!

Birthday girl had a lovely day, thank you-- even though she was a bit disgusted at having to go to school for the first time on the day! I'm bearing in mind your comment about 40 and parties, Kate-- so keep all of June 2010 free!!

Amanda... ((snurk) April the whath?) E would undoubtedly hugely appreciate the stone mouse, and return M's generosity with a landslide of hama bead creations of uncertain species...

Michelle Styles said...

40 is not bad. I passed 40 4 years ago last Saturday. I went to Rome. Going somewhere on holiday is great for significant birthdays. It is what you make it and as you can't do anything about it, it is best to enjoy the age you are.

I am pleased your youngest had a great day. Late Jan is a fantastic time for birthdays.

Come July all mine will be teenagers it is a scary thought. And my eldest wants to learn to drive...

Kate Hardy said...

Hama beads? Oh, we know those there.

Amanda, you can't be! You're HEAPS younger than I am... Oh. What Kate Hewitt said about time speeding. (Slinks off into corner and eats chocolate.)

Michelle - driving? That's scary. Am glad my eldest is still at the stage of working out how he can talk me into a Digiblue camera and a family laptop (he plans to be the next Aardman).

Marcy said...

India, I can relate.

Sob...I'm getting ready to take down the crib and put my 2 year old (my baby) in a big girl bed...my five year old has already lost 2 teeth and working on a third...I've surpassed the 'mid-thirties' and have not yet embraced 'late thirties'.

Oh boy can I relate!

Unknown said...

Michelle-- HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I wish I'd known-- hope you had a lovely day. Of course, you're spot on (as always) about enjoying the age you are. It's just that each new year always *sounds* so much older than the last one and it takes a while for the realisation to dawn that really, nothing has changed but the numbers!

A houseful of teenagers-- actually (and having met your daughter) that sounds like it'll be a lot of fun!

Kate, I like a boy with definite goals-- you know you're going to give in on the camera and the laptop, don't you?! (and your Hoover is full of Hama beads too?)

Marcy-- I'm holding your hand across the miles about taking down that crib. It bites... (Way to go on the 2 lost teeth though! My girl is lagging loads behind with just one wobbly one!)On the up side though, just think of all that time that will be yours again as they grow into independent little people...

Amanda Ashby said...

I'm fairly certain that I don't want to know what hama beads are - I have a hatred of anything that can fall on the floor and highlight the dust bunnies!

Kate, you are officially my new BF, but please don't let my startling lack of maturity fool you!! 40 it is!