"But now I am six."
"And I'm clever as clever."
A.A. Milne, Now We Are Six
Three weeks ago, Ellie turned six.
Happy birthday to the girl who, when asked how she felt about being six replied, "Not good! I want to be young."
I've heard ages five and six (and a few years beyond?) referred to as "the Golden Ages."
Well, we sailed through five mostly unscathed; a few weeks into six and so far (furiously knocking wood!) I can't help but agree. Ellie is a full-fledged little person. In the last year I've seen her morph into a little companion too. Oh sure, she still demands snacks at a break neck pace, and has a talent for asking me to open her jar of vitamins at just the moment that I'm balancing two backpacks, a cup of coffee and usually, a toddler or two. But now she can laugh about it, whereas last year she would just look at me blankly, as if to say: What? Are you busy or something?
But she's also growing more independent. She squealed with pride when she realized a few months ago that she no longer needed to stand on a chair to wash her hands at the kitchen sink.
She continues to be incredible with her younger brother and sister. She's still quick to suggest a solution to spat between babies or a remedy for tears: "I think Harry wants his water, Mommy." Or "Lucy's saying her car seat is too tight!" A few weeks ago I found myself home with just the babies. First of all, Harry and Lucy were downright bored with me. Where was their little playmate? Their ringleader? They both shuffled around the backyard looking forlorn. Lucy kept asking me, "Where's Ellie? Ellie?" And I found myself missing her too.
Ellie continues to love art, especially drawing ("What should I draw?" is her nightly, post-dinner question). I make suggestions: Mermaids? Gymnastic girls? (hey, it's what I used to draw). And every night she comes up with a better idea. "I know Mommy! A circus! With girls on a wire and clowns!" While I clean the kitchen and prep lunches for the next day, Ellie draws.
"A panda, a panda in a tree, a queen and a fairy."
Aaaaand of course, this. I melt.
This year, Ellie learned to read. It seemed to just click one day as I suppose it often does. For months and months she was sounding out words, fumbling and struggling. Then one day she was calling out signs from the back of the mini van and reading cereal boxes to me at the grocery store. The sight of a child's world opening up as words come alive in front of them, well that will just never, ever get old.
She's becoming increasingly sensitive (in a good way) showing a growing capacity for empathy. She holds doors. She apologizes for stepping on your toe or rushing in front of you to get down the stairs. The awareness of others' emotions is startling and I've found myself having to become more aware of my tone and even facial expressions: "Mommy? Are you getting frustrated? Mommy, are you having a hard time?" Ay yi yi. Out of the mouths of babes...
One night during bedtime a few months ago, I sighed, probably a little too loudly. "What's wrong?" Ellie asked. 'I'm just tired,' I replied (I think we did something nervy, like leave the house with all four kids). 'Today was a lot of work. A lot of fun,' I quickly added, 'but a lot of work.'
Ellie was quite for a minute. And then she said, "I don't have that feeling, that feeling of work," Ellie said. "I just have fun. In the sun!"
Look at that foot. That little foot.
Bed times are no longer a battle (not that they were ever too bad, they were just loooong and involved a lot of water and blanket adjusting and stuffed animal placement). Full disclosure: Most nights, she's still in our bed by 2 a.m. Aside from the fact that it sometimes feels like I'm sleeping with a pony (those elbows! those knees!), I'm not in a huge hurry to put an end to it. I know from experience. She won't want to climb into our bed forever.
Oh to have her self-confidence. May she never lose it.
This is SO Ellie. As she says, "A girl's gotta dance!"
This drawing is almost a year old and her handwriting has vastly improved (it's from the first month of kindergarten) but I just loved the sentiment.
I almost pinch myself sometimes--I feel so blessed to be able to witness Ellie growing into her role as big sister, and to watch her relationship with her younger siblings grow and bloom. Especially these two. They are quite the pair.
She still wants to play with Leo all the time and can't understand why he doesn't feel the same way. It's clear that he needs more alone time these days. But when they do play together? And it clicks? And she's the fairy and he's some sort of fantastic mash-up of Iron Man and Spiderman and probably also wearing a dress? Well, it's a sight to see.
They also like to dance.
Ellie's daily observations continue to slay me. Sometimes she says them faster than I can write them down (thank goodness for the little yellow memo pad on my phone).
During a particularly explosive Lucy meltdown: "That Lucy! She's just a big piece of work!"
She wasn't really mad at Lucy though, because minutes later, she was trying to cheer her little sister up: "Lucy? Do you want to go be ladies in the pool?"
After a visit to and (purchase at) a candy store: "Nothing can stop me from eating fudge!" (She has quite the sweet tooth and thinks breakfast really should come with desert (naturally, it should be fudge).
Ellie, watching Lucy be sassy to me (I believe she screamed no and stomped her little feet about seventeen times): "Look Mommy! Lucy's being like a queen!"
Ellie: "Oh Mommy, you know everything."
Me: 'Well no one knows everything.'
Ellie: "I know. I'm just trying to make you feel good."
"Can I sit in your lap even when I'm thirteen?"
And perhaps, my all-time favorite, about two months ago, after a simple lunch at home of cheese ravioli and sliced strawberries, Ellie looked up at me and said:
"You know what? You can't beat love. You know what that means Mommy? Love always wins."
Amen, Ellie. Amen.
Happy birthday, Sweetheart. We love you so very much and can't wait to see what six brings you.
