Six

We have celebrated two birthdays in our house this month, neither of them Alice's.  In fact she is is the only person in our house whose birthday is not in the Autumn, something she found really hard when she was younger.  I was on a little blogging holiday when we celebrated her birthday, but as this lovely blogger commented recently 'Who do I blog for?  And at the end, I blog for me......to keep a record of my time with my children', so although a few months has passed this is my record.

Alice's birthday will sometimes fall on a public holiday in the UK, so every few years she will have Daddy at home for the day and this year was even better, it was a public holiday and Daddy took a few days off work afterwards too.  This was so that we could meet her request for the party she wanted, camping with her family.  We took ourselves off to a lovely small campsite an hour down the road where we enjoyed wonderful weather, beautiful scenery, long walks and each other.

Six.  Those years have gone by fast.  As you enter your seventh year round the sun you continue to be my guide still holding my hand to show me the way.  You have moved slowly away from me this year, tentatively at first, spending time with your best friend, the best place for you to go off on your own.  It has paved the way for you to start Beaver Scouts which you have wanted to join since you were four, it has been a long two year wait.

Your world is full of wonder and imagination, everything is 'wonderful' and 'amazing'.  The games you play take you all over the place, you are often packing to go camping, on picnics, plane rides and all manner of exciting places.  Objects are phones one minute, plates the next or tickets for your latest puppet show.  You have become a collector of all manner of things, you could open your own museum of curiosities, your pockets are always full of little bits when we return from a walk.  I have to be sure to check your pockets before putting your clothes in the wash!

You wanted to learn to read this year but decided that you weren't ready yet so turned to writing instead, squiggles first of all which have slowly turned into beautiful letters.  You write everyday now, practicing, practicing so that you can be as good as Cameron who told you that is what he did.

You wanted to learn to count beyond ten, the words for the numbers between there up to twenty so difficult for you to remember.  Beyond twenty is so easy you say, logical, so in your frustration one day you ask why do they have to be back to front so we have turned the words round, for now.  The digits you find so easy.

Your bond with Cameron is as strong as ever, I love to watch you two play and interact together solving your disagreements....well most of the time.  You loved all the presents I made you which I will share another day.  I hope your birthday was all you wanted it to be.