Happy Birthday to you Dear Riley

I just assumed that it would be so close to Christmas that I couldn't possibly have time to post any thing. I guess you know what assume means... I got nothin' but time. I am so glad to hear from others in the beautiful evergreen state that are going stir crazy too. Being house bound for a few days is cool but a week? It's getting old. But I also assumed or should say that Bob and I assumed that we would never punish a child by giving them a December birthday. We even talked in length about how we know lots of people with December birthdays and what a drag it must be, etc. Well again, we were wrong. We have a December birthday. It isn't so bad for her either. She kind of likes it. Her dad and I, along with all of her family have always made a huge effort to give her a separate and unique birthday. She knows no better and therefore is completely content with her holiday infused day.
Let me try to shine some light on the world and machinations of my youngest child. She is fair in looks but only in looks. She can be a tough kid or a true youngest baby. We have a bad habit of not being able to leave her alone. We have picked on her since she was quite small. She was (and is) so cute and so fun to chew on, tickle, squeeze, bite, blow raspberries on, nibble, poke and pinch. We have never tired of it and her father is the biggest culprit. She doesn't like it much but knows this is her call in life and place in this family. As she gets older it isn't quite the same tho. She has been blessed with the best sense of humor. Her impersonations and accents are dead on, her comedic timing and take on life is pure SNL material. She has spent a large amount of her life trying to be like her sister but has carved out her own personality as well. She is the magnet for children everywhere. Kids of all ages are just drawn to her. She often flies by the seat of her pants, lands in a pile of manure and comes up smelling like a rose. I have always been jealous of people like that. It is hard for me to go on without thinking of the millions of things she has done that make me laugh out loud. She has paid her father back a million times over for all of his evil tickling and biting by being able to impersonate him perfectly. Not one of us could get away with it like she does.
Riley was the pure Christmas joy 11 years ago. She was the sweetest little cuddly thing. She has always and still is my cuddle bug. I know she is trying really hard to be that cool "tween" but she can't help herself and wants to snuggle with her mom.
If I have been guilty of anything it is this, I treat her like the baby that she is. She is my baby and no matter how old she is she will always be my baby. I knew before she was born that she would be our last. I made sure I held her a little longer, baby talked with her a little longer, protected her a little longer. I knew by the first child just how fast it was all going to go. I wanted to savor and hold on just a bit more with my baby. Now I see this beautiful blue eyed, blonde girl who is breaking my heart and will break lots of hearts before she is through.
I had to explain to her yesterday that we would not be going out to celebrate her birthday today or tomorrow due to the weather. She told me it was okay. I can just see the future and me crying or whining about something and my baby will still be telling me "it's okay mom". She is the true grown up kid and I am the one being the baby. Happy Happy Birthday my little Christmas angel, Mom and Dad couldn't have asked for a better gift.