Pony Rides and Tutu Twirls

Our girl Mary turned four today. Four adventurous, fun-filled years. How in the world did my sweet baby girl become FOUR years old? You could try to convince me that she's forty, and I wouldn't have a harder time believing it. I am in complete awe over how fast these first years really do fly.

To start the day, our birthday girl had the chance to ride on Krystov, one of the most gentle horses at the stable next door. She loved every minute of the 5-minute walk in the ring. Our friends Kate & Mark coordinated the visit, and it was surely her most favorite gift of all. We've been reading The Good Luck Pony every day, a book about a girl who rides horses. So this visit to the stable was a dream come true for Mary, who loved the mud and dirt and smell of horses.

And, in the sheer bliss of ongoing-character-swaps that every four-year-old knows, just a few short hours later, Mary was dressed up in a frilly tutu and leotard doing plies all around the family room.

For dinner, as luck would have it, the Welch family was driving through the area tonight on their way back to the city, so they stopped in to help us celebrate. Brian and Karen came with baby Luke, too, since we wanted to see them one more time before we leave the state. And Elizabeth and Katherine were able to come, too. So, our boring birthday celebration became a wild, laughter-filled bash, complete with party hats and all. And we wouldn't have had it any other way. It was such a fun evening, both for the kids and the grown-ups.

Mary was overjoyed as she opened presents (a leotard!) and blew out her candles. Curtis manned the bar and made sure, courtesy of a little tequila reposada, that the grown-ups had just as much fun. It was a wonderful celebration.

Oh, and by the way, apparently parenting a four-year-old has a whole new set of challenges. Today, while we were frosting her cake: "Mom, how does a baby get into your tummy?" I thought the incessant "why?" questions were hard. These "how" questions are going to be a whole harder nut to crack.