Tooth today, gone tomorrow

Is it bad mothering to admit there's one of your children you hate to see grow up more than the others?

I'm guessing so. But, it's so totally true in the case of my pixie.

My little Liv, who lost her first tooth, and is now sporting an empty gap which initiates her into the "kids big enough to loose teeth" group. All when she's so perfectly perfect being little.

While she's our child least like me, she's the child I most enjoy getting to discover. There's a zest about her that I hope never leaves. And while we have our moments, she's a joy to watch learn, grow and take on the world.

She placed the teeny, tiny baby tooth in waiting for the tooth fairy, then had to check on it a couple times before bedtime; tell it goodbye; and proceed to ask no less than two dozen questions about the tooth fairy and her methods. All these proof as to why I'd most like to keep her this way.

Tiny teeth are just the start of the tiny leaving her.

Spelling bee skillz

Granted, it's no Scripps National Spelling Bee, but it will provide some Saturday night entertainment. Plus, as an added bonus, it's fantastic p-r-a-c-t-i-c-e for Alena with her spelling words for the upcoming week (so far she's gotten perfect scores each week).

Introducing the kids to the concept of a spelling bee made for a novel idea to them, but has resulted in a great way to practice spelling that they see as a way to goof off and perform. Besides, the foot pedal on Alena's microphone which produces applause on demand adds a real-life effect when the speller answers correctly.

Our participants vary in their abilities, and the moderator chooses words accordingly. The current list of spelling words makes up Alena's turns at the mic (b-r-e-e-z-e/p-r-e-s-s); Alivia gets repeating word chunks (b-a-t/m-a-t/r-a-t); Alysse, our closed-eyes speller, gets the starters (c-a-t/d-o-g/A-l-y-s-s-e) with a new word thrown in here and there (l-o-v-e); and Trace, upon taking the stage, declares his own words (c-a-r/t-i-r-e-s/b-u-c-k-e-t) that we then have to spell letter by letter for him to repeat.

To date, the spellers haven't complained about the preferential treatment some competitors get. So far, so good.

We've held several of these living room bees and have yet to name a winner. I don't think it's yet occurred to them that a bee typically results in a top speller. But with them it's not about winning or losing, just pure F-U-N (well, that and the fake applause).

She's S-I-X ... 6!

Here's my baby ...

turning six. Yes, six. It doesn't seem possible, and I wouldn't believe it if it weren't for the diaper changing, potty training, preschool drop offs and first days of school that got us here.

The one thing she REALLY wanted for her birthday was an iPod. Had to be pink. Had to be small. Had to have music (Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez to be exact). Music, that upon receipt of the iPod, has played nonstop since Saturday's party. And even when she's at school and Selena's voice isn't filling the living room, I hum the tunes in the dj's absence.

(The party after the party.)
Turning six also scored her a new, "big bike." Translation ... it has no training wheels. Here's hoping it's the kick in the rear we all need to help her learn to ride on her own. She was thrilled with the bike, and willing to give it a go.

After a few laps up and down the sidewalk on the new bike and she had to get dolled up to take her birthday calls. She's got a long list of people who love her and called to wish her a great birthday. After all, it's hard being this fancy when you're six.

Sunday baseball

We headed to Great American Ballpark today to take in a game on a beautiful afternoon. It was Trace and Alysse's first visit to the park. Tonight at dinner, Trace said he was going to have dreams about the baseball game ...obviously he enjoyed himself.

First day, preschool edition

There was much joking which led up to the start of preschool for Alivia, Trace and Alysse.

Laughs that Alivia could probably teach the class she was set to begin. Jabs that we'll owe Trace and Alysse's teacher a corvette or summer home as an appropriate Christmas gift for having survived the two of them that long. And the kids' own joke that I was going to drop everyone off and head to McDonald's for a relaxing coffee and snack as they had seen a mother do in a commercial for the fast food chain.

Yeah, that one hit a nerve with Trace every time the girls would mention it. Even at breakfast Tuesday morning, he asked if I was going to McDonald's without him. It seemed inconceivable to him that IF I was going out for coffee solo, it WOULDN'T be at McDonald's.

Alivia was gung ho to get back to school. She's spent the last few weeks counting down the days until the start of a new school year. She was eager and enthusiastic to walk through the classroom door.

Alysse has been ready to start school for forever, it seems. Given the chance, she would have joined Alivia in her class last year and not looked back. She, too, had been keeping track of "how many more days" and kept her Playdoh stash under tight watch until the big day.

And Trace. Oh, Trace ... he was the big question mark. He approached the going-to-school thing with a take-it-or-leave it attitude. He hadn't expressed hesitation about going; but, aside from the Spiderman backpack purchased in preparation, he hadn't shown much excitement either. The possibility of missing a trip to McDonald's proved a larger issue for him than anything school related.

So, when their first day came, they went. All of them. Not a tear, nary a whine. All ready, willing and happy. Each one came home more excited about what they had done at school than the next. And we found ourselves back to counting down the days until Thursday when they get to return. Maybe then I'll go to McDonald's for a coffee.