She is Six

I don’t write a birthday post for each child each year, because life is busy and sometimes birthdays pass us by in a rush. This year, because things are just so hectic and there is so much going on I felt that it was even more important to sit down and mark the anniversary of our smallest’s entry into the world.

Today, my baby girl turns six. The little bumble of pink is far from little any more. She started “big school” in September and has just grown up so much in the past twelve months. She’s learned to do phonics and pre-cursive writing and attempts to read everything she can. She loves school, but not so much homework, or getting up in the morning.

She loves her “Mammy and Daddy, Grandad and Granny and Granny and Grandad, and kind of the boys”. She says kind of, she means loads, really. She gives them cheek but treasures when they spend time with her, teaching her something, playing hide and seek or removing spiders from wherever they annoy her.

She’s a very, very “girlie-girl” in lots of ways, loving sparkles and nail polish, unicorns and mermaids but this past year she has left tutus behind in favour of an edgier look. Denim skirts and short shorts are her rig-out of choice. Possibly teamed with the pink Wexford jersey her uncle bought her for Christmas, or with her denim jacket. She wants to be a teenager, but one that gets hugs, and stories, and sleeps with the light on and always gets to sit beside Mammy in restaurants.

She recently scolded her Grandad for buying her a black and yellow pencil as it’s the Kilkenny colours. Grandad apologised, but pointed out that if the lead broke he wouldn’t have wanted to hurt a Wexford pencil. She wasn’t convinced. She still uses the pencil though.

She would draw all day long, drawing and colouring, practising writing. She thinks maybe she will be an artist when she grows up, or a hairdresser because someone in school said she’s “really good at doing hairs”. She is a keen camogie player and gets stuck in, but has recently learned that wearing your helmet when playing with your older brothers is a good idea.

Right now, life is about LOL dolls and Our Generation dolls and Youtube time. Bike-riding is pretty fun, especially if you can rope Daddy in to doing laps of the garden with you. (And guess who can?)

She says hugs are her favourite thing, she’s not fond of breakfast, she’d take or leave ice-cream but will fight you for an ice-pop or salt and vinegar Pringles.

Laoise added sparkle to our lives, she’s our baby forever, our littlest. She’s big but knows the privileged spot she has as youngest in the family. Occasionally, she doesn’t love being youngest, she says that the boys get to do more stuff than her and stay up later, but when asked if she’d really like a younger family member she soon retracts that statement. She’s the only girl of her generation on my side of the family (so far) and it’s a special spot she’s not keen to share. She’s happy to be Granny and Grandad’s favourite granddaughter, even if there’s no competition for the title.

Happiest of happy birthdays to our gorgeous girl, who still greets us with a smile and a hug. Whose warm heart shines out and who knows her own mind and is not afraid to vocalise it. Grow up my girlie, grow tall and strong, but keep your sense of wonder, your love of detail, your feistiness.

Always be you, we will be here, proud xx