Three more weeks, Mom.

This morning we got up in the usual way, the little one crying because he heard our respective alarm clocks go off only 5 minutes apart after we hit the snooze once each. So, my husband goes to the other room to pick him up, bring him into bed with me, and then proceeds to the shower. I get to experience baby snuggles for about 10-15 minutes, then it's my turn to hit the shower, and hubby gets to snuggle with the sweet smelling boy. Meanwhile, I remember that my daughter wanted to wash the sticky maple syrup that she got the day before out of her hair this morning. Okay, so I go to wake her, and she rolls over and snores at me. I try again...with an offer of shower or 10 more minutes in bed...with no shower. She rises to the occasion, and I wash her hair. Since we were smart enough to set her clothes out the night before, she moves right onto getting dressed. As we move along in the morning, preparing a bottle, changing a diaper...she says with excitement...
"Three more weeks, Mom."
"Yes, honey-girl, three more weeks until Christmas."
"What? There's three more weeks until Christmas? We haven't even seen Santa yet!"
"Honey, if not Christmas, then what did you mean by three more weeks?"
"Three more weeks until my flu shot!"

See, we went to get flu shots for the kids on Wednesday, and because it was such an ordeal for her of not wanting one because she doesn't want it to hurt, then wanting one because her baby brother is getting one and she's a lot bigger than him, then not wanting one because...oh no, that stuff if really cold on my arm, and wait! I'm not ready!!!.Ouch!! (only a couple of tears were really shed)...she remembers all the details. Including the detail that the nurse reminded me to call the clinic in three weeks to see if they had any of the vaccine left, so she could get a booster (this is her first ever flu shot, so she needs a booster one month after the first...which is why we were at the clinic in the first place...for the baby's booster.) She's so excited about getting another shot mostly because I think she was just plain proud of herself (and rightly so)...I'm wondering what she'll do if I call the clinic and they tell me that they've run out, and she won't be able to get one. Will seeing Santa still be such a big deal?

She's growing up so fast. She's getting faster at number combinations, loves compound words - like Thanksgiving, and she's acing her spelling tests. Tonight she was even reading "Green Eggs and Ham" all by herself. (Okay, she asked for help on two words.) Really, looking for a picture of her to put here, was hard. Do I put something when she was so little? Something more recent? Either way...she'll only be 6 1/2 once. I love her so much. It hurts me to think how fast time is slipping away...but how proud I am of how honest, loving, creative and funny she really is. "Yes, honey-girl, three more weeks. Don't worry, I won't forget."