Six

So, today the kid is six. Crazy. I would ask where the time went, but I know where it went. Into the awesome years that were one, two, three, four, and of course, five. Such great times associated with every single year. Well, every single day. I'd say every single minute but that would be insane if only because of that part in the beginning with so very little sleep and that one time when I had to carry her out of the mall kicking and screaming when she was like three-ish. But otherwise yes, it's been a pretty awesome run.

She'd decided for her birthday that she wanted to see a movie and picked We Bought a Zoo. I asked her if she was sure about this, as this is a two hour-plus movie and it's not a cartoon and it's not a musical and there are not even any Muppets in it or anything. I asked her many times if she was sure that this was the movie she wanted to see and she told me yes.

There was one point where she said she wished she had her LeapPad (her dad was able to get it for super cheap for her birthday) with her so she could play with that. Other than that, she was pretty much into the movie, and so was I, even though I'm pretty sure I had to go to the bathroom the whole time I was watching it. Matt Damon is just so cute and easily distracted me from what was a very full bladder by the time the movie ended.

Kayla would also like to buy a zoo someday.

After the movie we went to the car to get the LeapPad and go to The Cheesecake Factory. The rechargeable batteries died within about ten minutes (she'd played a lot last night), but that was okay. I think she was enjoying watching people with me. Watching people in Walnut Creek can be very, very, very, very, very interesting. Just saying.

We had a lovely time. I don't even know what we talked about... I just know that talking to her is so much fun. Being with her is such a gift. Like, that we can go out, just the two of us, to a place where we wait for 20 minutes to be seated and where basically we spent over an hour and a half just being together. And after she'd already watched a two hour movie. I don't have to worry that she will go south on me or get too tired or that I will find myself wishing I'd picked a faster place.

This is what makes six better than three, in my opinion. Three is cool. No doubt. And you can't get to six without being three. But I really, really, really, really like six.

They brought her some ice cream and sang happy birthday to her. A family at the table near ours told us that their daughter was there to celebrate her 21st birthday. I told them what I'd told Kayla earlier, as I was drinking my Eel River Organic Amber, that I would take her out for a beer on her 21st birthday. Or a glass of wine. I wonder if my kid will even like beer... Even if she doesn't ever develop a taste I am still going to like her. A lot.

Seriously, folks, 12-27-2026 will be here before we know it. Sheesh.

We were going to go to the zoo today, too. But I convinced her that stretching out her birthday over two days (or even three) was a great idea, especially since Mommy is fighting a stupid, I mean, really stupid as in it comes it goes it comes it goes it comes back again stupid cold. So she even let me take a nap, something I said I wouldn't do on her birthday, but she's awesome like that. She didn't throw a fit. She listens to reason and she does her own thing while I rest. I cannot wonder enough times what I did to get this particular kid, the one who doesn't give me a hard time (often) and when she does it never lasts long. So. Lucky.

By the way, new Kayla word today: A-dorable. As in, make that a long "A" sound, and then add the "dorable." I said, "A-dorable?" She said, "Like really adorable, you know, like HIGH-larious?" That's one she got from me, and yes, I did totally get what she was saying, and I love it when she reminds me of me when it's something silly or quirky or of course, funny. I'm like, YES! YOU are the kid I have raised! Woo hoo! She's such her own little fabulous person, but seeing little pieces of yourself rub off after raising someone for six years, well, sure, there's an element of vanity there, no doubt. And also it's just cool.

On the way home she says to me, sort of out of the blue, "What will we do for my 19th birthday?" I said, "Well, I don't know. I mean, when you're 19, you might not even want to hang out with me. Maybe you'll have a boyfriend or something and you'll want to hang out with him." She tells me, "If I have a boyfriend, do you know who it's going to be?" I asked, "Who?" She says, "Jesse. But you can come out with us." I started laughing and said, "Okay, can we write that down so we'll remember you said that?" And she said yes.

Done.