Another year older?

Today is Miss Alita's 5th birthday. I now understand why every relative on the face of the planet insists on looking at you and saying, "Aw, I remember when you were this big.

I think that April was the month where some of Alita's growing up sprang out at me. Her family had just come back from Disneyland and they brought back pictures. There was a picture of her running toward the camera in a rides and games sort of area and she just looked different, older, taller. There was something in the picture that let you glimpse what she's going to look like when she's 15 or 30. She's beautiful. Which, of course, you knew already. Later she was sitting next to me while I held MusicBaby and I asked if she wanted to give him a kiss. She grazed the back of her index finger along his fuzzy hair and, in the middle of a crowded, loud restaurant, she whispered, "I don't want to wake him up."

Thankfully she's not too old yet. At brunch in May she came into the restaurant, climbed up into my lap, put her face in the crook of my neck and just sat there for 5 or 10 minutes. So, there's still some time before she's too old for that and I'm very glad.

I hope she has a happy happy birthday and many returns of the day. We'll get together on Friday and have sushi and cake. I can't wait!