Joy! Joy! Elsie is Three!








Our beautiful Elsie is three today, and she marked the joyous occasion with her exuberance. She woke up singing "I am three today!" She sang "happy birthday to Elsie!" She listed all of the people at school she would share her birthday cookies with. She loved on her Nonie and her baby sister. She was a star swimmer for her lesson with Theresa! And then when Grammy and Poppa came for birthday dinner with their present, she reacted the way you had hoped she would: "A bike! A bike? For Elsie? A bike? Is it all mine? Can Elsie ride it all the time?" Yes, Elsie, you can! And she did--fast and far on that Dora Huffy, with stops at the "library," "the beach," "the ice cream store," and "Poppa's store." "Bye Mommy and Daddy," she waved as she rode off with a smile on her face.

And that is just it, after only three years and she can do so much and so much by herself. We are so proud of her and perhaps most proud that she finds such joy in the world around her and what is there and what she imagines is there. She was giddy with just the candles on her mini-birthday cake from Grammy, licking the chocolate from them with wide eyes. That was enough for her right there. But we let her have her cake, too--that is what birthdays are for! She had her cake and ate it--just a few bites, really, enough to get it all over her face and then went back to dipping her candles in chocolate. Happy 3rd Birthday dear, sweet, spirited, maddening, loving, unmatched, joyful Elsie girl!

Be patient, and I'll get the real birthday pictures from Grammy and the party pictures from Saturday will come soon!