To my Four Year Old Adara

Hello Bella, Happy Birthday. As you laid on my chest asleep last night, I had some time to think back on four years. What a ride! At the risk of exposing my bias, I think that this past year was my favourite yet. You've become cunning and witty, bossy and charming, analytical and athletic. You are a whole little person unto yourself and heaven help the person who crosses you.

Tonight, while singing to me Oh Canada, you skipped the word God. When I asked you why you said it was a bad word. Worrying that my own leftist liberal tendencies might have got to you I asked why and you said "You know,when I say OH GOD!!! you say that that's bad. So God is a bad word". Ah, right. This is a level of subtlety that I was not expecting to cover yet. However in the past month we've covered "Where do babies come from?" (mommies and daddies, end sentence) "Will Daddy die?" (yes, eventually) and "Will Daddy die and come back as a zombie (said gleefully)" (not likely, but who can say, really?) It's been a pretty exciting year keeping up with you.

The major advances this year have been athletically and scholastically. You can hit a ball that's pitched to you pretty much every time now, can catch like no ones business, climb far too easily and outgrew the preschool soccer, you didn't want to "play soccer with those babies, they don't know what they're doing".

Scholastically, this was your first year of school. You seem to be doing pretty well although are seriously put out by the fact that this school thing will go on for the forseeable future. You've got your letters pretty well under control, can spell and write your name as long as no one cares too much if you do and can count to thirty. Not bad kiddo, not bad. Now learn to read. No, seriously, learn to read. You like stories far too much you need to make this leap now before I get laryngitis from reading out loud.

You also have shown serious aptitude for drawing, drawing dinosaurs, people and birds from all different angles and levels of action.

Adara, we love you so much. You are the light of my life and the thing that makes me step away from work when things are hectic. Surprisingly, you've become the centre of my life balance, the counterweight to all else.

I look so forward to the years ahead. As you lay on your tummy this past weekend ably working my old record player from the 1970's I thought "Wow. What a lot we still have to explore together". I can't wait.

Happy Birthday Adara