Pixie Six

She's six. 

My youngest child is six years old today. Our surprise child, she has brought so much light, joy, sass, mischievousness, and love to our lives. She is truly a unique child.

Alia is princess dresses and dissection kits; hula hooping and skateboarding; carefully beading necklaces and attempting daring stunts. She's cuteness and intelligence and toughness and gentleness; choir girl and rock star. 

She earned her nicknames Destructo-Baby and Danger Girl, but she's also one of the kindest, most gentle people I know. Rarely afraid, when she is, she meets her fears head on. 

This birthday is important. It's the big SIX. I'm not sure why this is such a huge milestone in my mind, but it is.

In my family it opens up new possibilities. Six is the age at which our children are allowed to shave their heads. Now, one wouldn't think a family would need to assign an age for such things, but Haley, our older daughter, wanted short spiky hair early on and we asked her to wait until she was at least six. Coren shaved his into a mohawk and then completely bald at 6. Alia has spent a year planning her six-year-old hairdo- a "girlhawk."

My Skella Girl, Girl of Big Dreams, my sassy, spectacular, scary six-year-old - I love you more than words can say. You are my heart.