Happy 16th Girlie Girl

Me and Girlie Girl about 15 years ago :-)

I didn't get a chance to actually post this on 1/4, so I went back in time! Thanks Blogger. Anyway, I wanted to make sure and celebrate my lovely Shelly Girlie Girl here on (or around) her special day.

Last week I wrote about the New Year's Eve right before her birth...clearly it was a difficult time, but it is impossible to convey the joy her arrival gave me. Don't get me wrong, I adore each and every one of my sons, but having a girl following three boys was so, so exciting! The thing about Girlie Girl is that she is such a fun person. She has the best sense of humor and has always had what seems to be me to be a very mature sense of 'self'. This girl cannot be intimidated. This is probably partly a function of having had to stand up to a houseful of boys, but I also think that is it just who she is. She is an excellent student. Her teachers have uniformly praised her writing skills...her ability to express herself. And what's great about her is that if she needs help with something, she just gets help. No drama, she just deals. I really hope that someday I can grow up to be a lot more like Girlie Girl.

Now she is 16 and in a matter of a couple of weeks, if things go as planned, she will be driving. I've seen what a huge step that is...when kids can get where they want to go under their own steam it makes a huge difference in their level of independence...well, duh. Fortunately, Girlie Girl has not done anything (or much of anything) to make me feel that she is not worthy of my trust. So, we'll move forward with confidence and excitement as she continues to grow up into the amazing woman I know she'll be. Happy Birthday Girlie Girl!!!