Halfway to 16

I have a running joke with my dad, who I usually see about once a year, maybe every 18 months. I love him dearly, he just lives too damn far away to see much more often than that.

When he first met Lindsey as a six-week old, he held her in his big bear hands, looked at her and said, "Gee, 18 more visits like this and I'll be attending a high school graduation."

Now every year he counts down the number of visits left before that high school graduation. Right now that count is 10. And we're halfway to driver's license age.

That's just wrong.

So I will just focus on today, and on how special she felt on her 8th birthday. She awoke at 6 a.m, thanks to an alarm that was left on after an early morning run (ahem hem, dear husband...). And she patiently waited around for over an hour until everyone was ready to be a part of the gift unwrapping.

At age 8, she is just as excited by an iTunes gift card as she is by clothes for her Barbies.

iTunes card!!



Barbie clothes! (Ignore the gray half-way loaded photo. I'm too tired to fix it.)

She was greeted with birthday wishes when she got to school, got to bring treats to her class and was sung to at her after-school program.

When we arrived home a bouquet of flowers were delivered -- her first flowers that she can remember that she's gotten, compliments of Grandpa Tom & Meme Terry. (She got some from her daddy on her first birthday, but she doesn't remember that.)

We then went out to dinner at her choice, Benihana, a hibatchi restaurant.

And of course, they sang to her there, too.

We got home just as the phone was ringing. It was Aunt Kristi, calling to wish her a happy birthday, and a voice mail from the Lau grandparents, singing to her (again).

We got both the girls to bed a little late, and she was asleep immediately, a smile on her face.

Now that's a good birthday.

Ten more to go.