Landry is 6!!!

Middle picture: last day as a five-year-old. Right picture: Holding her favorite gift - mascara. :)

I just can't believe I have a six-year-old! Things have really changed this past year. I have been a little shocked about the transition from being five to being six. I think a lot of it may have to do with starting "big school". Landry is much more likely to dress -up in a real dress than she is a costume. She's a little tired of the Disney princesses, and she has started to really enjoy TV. Her sole focus right now is on losing her first tooth. Six days ago, she finally convinced me to try to wiggle it and. . . it was LOOSE! It totally took me by surprise. She's been saying she has a loose tooth for about 6 months. Of course, she'll be wiggling a molar or an eye-tooth, so I pretty much figured that she was imagining things. But, when she started wiggling the two bottom teeth, her eyes got HUGE! She turned around from the mirror and said "It really moved!" I started to think she might actually have a winner this time. So, needless to say, I wake-up to the same question every morning - "How long will it be until my tooth falls out?"

In the way of birthday gifts, Landry received something I have found quite addictive. I don't know why I never played with these when I was younger. What could it be? Are you curious? Is it something really complicated and expensive? NO! It's Shrinky Dinks! I just can't get enough of those things going from a big, dull, thin piece of plastic, to a small, bright, shiny, thick piece of "glass". I've enjoyed my oven more for making Shrinky Dinks than I have for making casseroles. Hmmmm. . . if only they were edible.

She also got a globe. It kind of shocked me when she opened it and said "Oh, yes! I'm going to find the boot, Italy!" She hasn't said one word about Italy until that moment. I was quite relieved that her first desire wasn't to find China. She told me last month that she wants to move there when she's an adult. She said she wants to have different people and a different government. I really don't know where she gets all of these thoughts. I spent a lot of time telling her that we already live in the best country on earth. I can't tell her a lot of the reasons why, because I want her to maintain the innocence of a child for as long as possible. But, I also want to make sure that she is constantly aware of the blessing of living in America.

Her big gift from us was a birthday party. She had it at a kids hair salon. It was way too small of a room, but she had a great time. And, Corinne got her first haircut! (That's the next post to come.)

So, another year has passed. Another year of parenting experience under my belt. Another year of on-the-job training coming my way. Thank you, God, for my first-born.