It is difficult for us to believe that Anna is 7! She really enjoyed her birthday party on Sunday, and engaged fully in every aspect of the celebration. We gladly watched her dig in to the cake and tear into presents like never before. Even better, we heard her say thank-you to friends, acknowledging all the givers of her (really great) presents. For the first time, she seemed to like being the center of attention! Today she had cupcakes with her class, and her teacher reported that when she was greeted with "Happy Birthday" in the morning, she broke out into a huge grin. Clearly, she appreciated that this was a special day for her. I took her out after school--shopping, of course! I had promised her a new outfit (and it was incredible to see her joyously handing me things she liked) and a turn on the bungee-trampoline jump at the mall. While the shopping was a success, apparently Monday afternoons are not popular times for jumping, so the activity was closed. We'll go back at the weekend.
Just don't ask her how old she is: she won't tell you. Now, some might say that she hasn't quite grasped the concept of age yet; I prefer to think of it as the early development of the habit of concealing one's true age. Obviously, she just doesn't feel 7 yet!
In other news, Thomas has begun to plan his birthday party. If he has his way, half the population of Atlanta and quite a few out-of-town guests will be in attendance. We'll keep you posted.
