9

Anna had her ninth birthday yesterday. Of course, this is where I join the ranks of countless parents in saying how quick it's gone and how I can't believe she's growing up so quickly...but that's boring. So, let me share with you nine things about Anna, for her ninth birthday:

1. She's an excellent musician, with a great ear and a natural affinity. She's coming along well with her piano playing, and has expressed an interest in the saxophone and the viola!
2. She is incredibly friendly. Anywhere this girl goes, she makes an instant friend.
3. She's really protective. She really personifies the idea that one can torture one's own family, but pity the outsider who gives it a try.
4. When asked which special people she would like to spend time with, her extended family - grandparents, cousins, etc - are usually the top of the list.
5. She's got an amazing imagination. Pretend games are the main diet of play in our house, and it's usually Anna who's at the center of organizing some elaborate plot for everyone to act out.
6. She will probably grow up to at least experiment with being a vegetarian. I know of no children who get as excited as she about salad!
7. She can be very compassionate. When Dan swallowed a marble a while ago, she was in tears thinking that he might have been hurt. (It passed without incident)
8. She's energetic. After being awake at some ungodly hour, she had enough energy that I found it necessary to have her run up and down the road for a while!
9. She can be forgiving. In decorating her cake yesterday, I got distracted and instead of putting a "9" on her cake, I got half way through a "5" before I realized what I was doing. I quickly tried to make it into a "9", but it ended up being more of a "6". Before I fixed it (I really did!), she looked at it, cocked her head and said, "Thank you?"

 

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.