Laurel --5 Years Old

I didn't choose 9-11 for my daughter's birth day. The day she was born is still freshly imprinted in my mind. I woke up in the wee hours of the morning and suspected that I was in labor; all the signs were there. It couldn't be. This was a horrible day for a child to be born. And my OB was off on Thursdays. No! No! Not today! Tomorrow would be fine. Tomorrow would be just perfect, but September 11th? That was not OK. Perhaps I was imagining the cramps. Maybe if I took enough deep breaths and pretended hard enough, I could successfully postpone the inevitable. I tried to hold off on going to the hospital as long as I could. I went to work and helped my sub get ready to finish off the novel we were in the process of covering. I managed to stay at school 'til lunch time and then Clint drove us to the hospital to have the baby. Sure enough, my water had already broken and Laurel would be born that day. No turning back now. She arrived at 5:23 that afternoon. And though I was disappointed at not having my OB, I was ecstatic to hold my new baby daughter. Clint's Mom later wrote in a card something to the extent that Laurel's birthday was a moment to redeem the tainted memory of that 9-11 date. I liked that thought, and I also must admit that having such a date virtually insures that I will never go blank when someone asks me for my child's birthday. If you know me well enough then you know that I am number-recollecting impaired.

Laurel is such a special girl. She is reflective; I can see the wheels turning in her little mind as she tries to figure out her world. She is tender-hearted and can easily get her feelings hurt. She is a staunch defender of other's rights. She won't hesitate to point out if one of her brothers fails to get something she has gotten. She exudes joy and fervor for life. And just as God had the perfect time mapped out for her arrival, I am confident that He has many more wonderful plans for her life. I can't wait to watch them unfold.

Things Laurel loves to do at age 5
1. Pretend playing with her many stuffed animals, polly pockets and little pet shop creatures.
2. Jumping on the trampoline
3. Coloring and drawing. She loves to draw pictures on her magna doodle and color in coloring books.
4. dressing up in leotards
5. swimming in the pool close to our house
6. helping Mommy cook. Laurel likes to crack the eggs and stir up the batter when we make something sweet to eat.
7. Reading books. She loves the Fancy Nancy books her Pepere and Memere gave her.
8. Swinging as high as she can.
9. interacting with living creatures. Laurel loves frogs, snakes, rabbits, worms, kittens, ladybugs, butterflies, and even slugs.
10. Picking flowers to give her Mommy. She also likes to pick blackberries and apples from her backyard.