Why today was NOT a good day...

...my husband left yesterday for the entire school week, and today:

1. my baby has been miserable, has a fever, runny nose, ear infections, and who knows what else

2. I had to leave the gym early because Lexie was so miserable in the child care. They were very nice and they love Lexie so they only called me down from my workout so that I could make her a new bottle but of course I wasn't going to let my baby suffer and cry after she had seen me

3. all local grocery/convenience/drug stores are out of pain medication for infants due to the lame-o Tylenol recall by Johnson and Johnson (I guess the lack of Tylenol has led to a shortage of all other brands, even generic)

4. Tate has a field trip tomorrow to Crow's Nest Farm and I can't go with him because I will be home with my little girls but I did still have to go to the grocery store to be sure that everything for his lunch was "peanut-free" and that all of his containers are disposable. While I was at said grocery store I desperately had to use the restroom because of the gallons of water I consumed at the gym but had not had time to use the facilities before leaving with Lex, Tate, and Ruby. Consequently, I began to dance around in the isle while praying that my bladder wouldn't betray me. As I was digging my fingernails into my arm to confuse my brain into focusing on the pain and not the peeing---while still dancing around---I had to scramble to get Abbie out of the cart. It was at this time that she announced that she had taken her shoes off and that she needed me to refasten her sandals onto her feet. I didn't. I quickly lifted her out of the cart and we ran together to the bathroom. My bladder only kind of betrayed me, thanks a lot body after five kids.

5. I received a confirmation e-mail from Nordstrom's telling me that my order had been shipped to...Jessie, not me...thank you to the man at Nordstrom's customer service for calling UPS and rerouting my package to Texas

and worst of all, drumroll please...

6. Nelda Wells Spears, the tax assessor-collector for the county in which we live, is trying to stick us with $18,179.90 of property taxes for 2008----I guess she doesn't care that WE DIDN'T LIVE HERE then (and we paid the pro rata taxes for the 6 weeks during that year during which we actually owned our home at the closing)

note: written to the tune of muzak while on hold with the tax assessor's office

A little Fairy turned FIVE today

Five years ago yesterday I only had one child; but five years ago today I woke up, got dressed, bid a bittersweet farewell to my little Bracken and Justin and I headed off to the hospital for an event we knew would greatly change the dynamic of our little family. The day that Abbie was born was a beautiful spring day in northern Virginia and I was extremely excited---albeit a tad irritated that my induction couldn't occur the next day on the coveted date of 5-5-05---to have this little girl.

She is worth staying up until 2AM making birthday party signs for...

(it says Fairy Abbie)

...and worth driving all over town to multiple Michael's to find the perfect items to decorate fairy wings and wands with.

I love her so much I am happy to bake hearts and bugs so her preschool class will know that she is special and today is her day.

She is amazing, and creative, and unique. She chose to spend her last night as a four-year-old in rainbow GAP pj's with a white leotard on over them, and a tutu over that. She finished the look with her favorite white cable-knit cardigan and struck these poses when I told her in the morning that I didn't want to forget the way she entered her fifth year of life (what's better, the hair or the outfit?).

She was celebrated at school and got to wear the oh-so-original "It's My Birthday" hat, but mostly she was just thrilled that the day to wear her Oopsy Daisy skirt had finally arrived. It had been hanging in my closet for a few weeks and she would go in to look at it, or try it on, but knew it was for wearing on her birthday. She got her special birthday shirt from her Aunt Jessie who shares Abbie's belief that a special event is merely an excuse for a new and equally special outfit.

She twirled and twirled all day long and never got sick of seeing the skirt swirl out around her. When it was finally time for her party I decided to release the panic I was feeling over the fairy wings that had not yet arrived via UPS (though the entire party was based around all of the girls in their wings) and to just enjoy the moment with her; I was aware of the fact that my beautiful little girl is no longer my baby. Something happens when a child crosses over from preschool age to being old enough for elementary school and it seems to happen right before your eyes. She is now officially a big kid and I love her.

Her friends love her too as you can see from the party shots. Most of her best friends were there in their best fairy attire and were excellent at shaking their wands and spreading fairy dust throughout the house. I have decided to view the glitter that I spread all around the table displays, and which the girls spread everywhere else and is now covering every surface of my home, as a reminder of the fact that today was special for us all.

Abbie is one of the six loves of my life and I hope that she knows that each and every day. She is her mother's daughter and I would not change one thing about her---given the chance I would have ended the day in some fabulous new shoes and an amazing dress too! {wedding apparel courtesy of grandpa who had to endure a zillion times of Abbie reminding him that's what she really, really wanted for her birthday if mom said she can't get such nice things just on a random trip to Target....who is that mean mom????}

Oh, and the UPS man did finally show up. Thank heaven.