a decade.

lynn is 10 today.

ten.

just in case you didn’t get that….

(!!!!)

she keeps reminding us about this annual increase by sating things like: I’m in the double digits!!” or, “I have been alive for a whole decade!!”.

she is a little excited.

please, someone explain to me why she is so happy, when I am so sad.

I am happy, don’t mistake my joy for sadness, but seriously, just where exactly, has the past ten years gone?  and while you are answering my questions, tell me why it went so fast.

(there is a little bit of mourning going on at this house.)

but really..

I am so thankful for this girl!

I was SO.FREAKED.OUT. to find out that we were having a girl.  SOFREAKEDOUT!!  turns out it isn’t that bad.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.

she is our designated babysitter, and she is pretty awesome at it.

she is always helping.  (even when it isn’t a mandated punishment for flooding my bathroom.  what?  you haven’t heard that story yet?  I must document it soon.)  she is always asking what she can help with.  as my life has seemed to increase in the level of craziness, she is always the one to help me out when she can see that I am about to blow.  as I was getting ready for a book club meeting, she vacuumed the house, cleaned the bathroom, and tidied the living room.  she just knew I was going to lose it, I swear! 

she is pretty good about rolling with the punches with our “experimental parenting”.  she is the oldest, and sometimes, she gets the newest of stuff tested out on her.  if we don’t screw her up completely, she will be an incredible mother.  she will remember the tried and true.

but about that whole “being a mother” bit, she says she doesn’t want to do that.  she doesn’t even want to get married!  she wants to live with me and merrill forever and take care of us.

she will ever be a bookworm, and I love it.

she is eager and so excited to learn how to do many new things.  her latest is laundry, but she loves to cook with me.  she was my little assistant making thanksgiving dinner.

while I am emotional, a little sad, looking back on all of those pictures that I love of her as my little girl, I am so thankful at the same time.  so thankful to be her mother, to be a part of her everyday life, to see the sweet young woman that she is growing up to be.

happy birthday sweet lynnie-lou!!  I love you.

p.s. thanks for being so cool with me and dad when you opened your new walkie-talkie set and we were awesome and forgot to buy batteries for them.  your patience is quite impressive!