April Showers...

Olivia really wanted to play in the rain this afternoon. So she got herself all dressed for the occasion (she got the CareBear umbrella, raincoat and what she calls "rain boots" and went out for almost an hour in the rain. I couldn't resist the opportunity to get some updated photos.

She is changing so fast - not as much physically these days as emotionally. She's so much more of a person - if that makes any sense. She shows so much more of a range of emotions. The other day she told me she was "really sad for me" because I had a cold. She also has her own little relationships forming... she was invited "exclusively" to a little girl's house tomorrow - the little girl got to invite one friend and invited Olivia. That's especially cool since this little girl is from the old school, which Olivia left in January!

She went shopping with me tonight - we literally walked from one end of Lynnhaven Mall to the other side - and back. I didn't get home with her until 9:30, so it was a late, late night. And we had such a good time. I explained the importance of a spring purse and why she'd one day appreciate the fact that there are just certain patterns that petite people should not attempt to wear. She was particularly helpful when I picked up a purse and she said, "No mommy, that's the same one you have now." Well, yes, I guess I've been in a bit of a fashion rut!

She went to work today with Steve for a few hours. Get this: she attended a meeting, watched a movie and played "fort" under his desk. Not to mention the pink doughnut. I told him she was going to get the wrong idea about "work" and think it was all fun and games. She loved seeing the office, hanging with the people and seeing daddy do some number "plussing." (Which she will almost never see mommy doing.)

This is my favorite age so far. It gets better and better for me. Five is full of spontaneous fun, laughter, and a ton of learning. It's serious at times, but in a way that's completely natural for someone learning so much. Five is definitely sensitive in the kindest, gentlest way - not manipulative or whiny but genuine sensitivity. It knows when it's being made fun of - but it also makes some really funny jokes, too! Five is sweet, and sneaky. Five will feed the cat treats when we're not looking. Five will also help itself to a snack and forget to mention said snack until a bit later when five refuses to eat dinner. Then again, five is fully capable and proud of the ability to grab its own breakfast items in the morning while it watches Strawberry Shortcake.

Which brings me to the other cool thing about five. Five is very, very retro! We're watching the same cartoons we grew up with and shopping for "jelly" shoes for the summer. Five genuinely likes old-school Madonna songs like "Borderline" and "Holiday." But beware, five will also ask for random hip-hop music (and do this by providing the actual lyrics to the songs! - "the dollar,dollar bill song, mom!") that it has heard on the radio. Word to the wise: five has big ears. Five hears all.

Five also starts to read - the mail, notes lying around the house, and even things on TV. Five recognizes her name everywhere it appears - including on brand-name Olivia stools at Target. It pays attention now when mom and dad spell things so as not to be understood. By age six, we joke that we may have to begin speaking pig-latin in order to have secrets! And these days, five also apparently does greater than/less than and basic math. Which, let's face it, is more than thirty-five does on a good day.

I adore Olivia at age five. I feel like everything up to this point has been a sweet and fascinating warm-up for the discovery of who she is and what she will do with her life. I feel parenthood turning a bittersweet corner - the point where we no longer teach basic life-skills and dictate orders, but instead give her the tools to make her own decisions and begin her own little journey. It's pretty amazing to see it all unfold.