Big
Happy birthday Henry and Eleanor.
You're four.
My babies had their last day of being three, and the next day, they woke up and they were four. How did this happen? Those little tiny wudges who were curled up in my belly, who slowly unfolded themselves in our arms, who stretched and grasped and scooched and crawled and cruised and toddled and jumped and skipped and leaped and ran, right into being big kids. And although we've been watching all the time, barely able to glance away, somehow, you turned into kids, and we never knew it.
Those magical and mindbending and maddening first four years have slipped past. I'm wistful. I can't believe I will not ever be the mom of babies, or toddlers, again. But I'm loving every minute of watching the people you're becoming. I love to read the stories you dictate and look at the pictures you draw. I love to see you figuring things out for yourself, and amazing yourself and us at all that you can do. I love when you're Blender, when you're a Boodle, and when you set up a veterinary practice in the bathtub. I love how you've learned to kiss the cat gently and how I can ask you to let the dog out and all the ways you help.
I love that you know how to play. Really, really know how to play.
(Yup, those are the handknit sweaters.)
I also love that you know how to live life with gusto, and to get every last morsel off your plate, and out of your life.
Happy birthday my darlings. Thanks for being here. I love you.
Oh, I can be the first one to wish those special kids a very happy fourth birthday!
Every second is so precious and it's amazing to watch them grow! Enjoy it all, mama!!
Posted by:Lisa | March 30, 2006 at 09:17 AM
Happy, happy, happy Birthday!!! Such beautiful children, such a lucky mama. The years *do* go so fast, and each new age brings a new kind of joy.
Congratulations to you all!!!
Posted by:Carry | March 30, 2006 at 09:37 AM
Tearing up a little (shh... don't tell anyone).
Happy Birthday Kiddos and Mamas!
Posted by:The Feminist Mafia | March 30, 2006 at 09:41 AM
Happy happy Birthday! FOUR is GREAT! (And tell them that I still lick the plate of every last bit of carvel ice cream cake (right?) and I'm 36!)
Posted by:Cara | March 30, 2006 at 09:43 AM
Happy, Happy Birthday, Henry & Eleanor!
Your pictures make me happy -- you have such big smiles!
Did you love the cake?
I hope you have a really big, fun day!
(and mwah to MamaCate and MamaRhysie)
Posted by:Norma | March 30, 2006 at 09:45 AM
A BIG Happy Birthday to Henry and Eleanor. Isn't it amazing how fast they grow up? One minute they have to be held all the time and the next they want to be so independent. It goes way too fast.
Posted by:Helen | March 30, 2006 at 09:47 AM
Happy Birthday to Eleanor and Blender the Bad Guy!! And congratulations to you for being a relaxed enough mom to let them play like that in their handknits. ;)
Posted by:Jackie | March 30, 2006 at 09:51 AM
Enjoy the ride...I still look at the wonder that my soon-to-be 21 yo "baby girl" has become.
Posted by:Diane | March 30, 2006 at 09:53 AM
Happy Birthday, big kids. A wonderful post, Cate. You made me tear up.
Posted by:PumpkinMama | March 30, 2006 at 09:54 AM
Happy Birthday to Henry and Eleanor. Will says that you'll like being four. You can run faster.
Posted by:julia fc | March 30, 2006 at 09:58 AM
Happy Birthday Eleanor and Henry! And happy anniversary of the birth to you, Cate. The blink of an eye, dearie. The blink of an eye.
Posted by:Carole | March 30, 2006 at 10:00 AM
Happy Birthday, Eleanor! Happy Birthday, Henry! Have as fabulous time being four as you obviously did being three! :)
Posted by:Chris | March 30, 2006 at 10:01 AM
Hey, that last picture looks like me at the dinner table!
Happy Birthday Henry and Eleanor!
Posted by:Martha | March 30, 2006 at 10:05 AM
Happy, happy birthday Henry and Eleanor!!
Four is amazing and yes, I was also very wistful when my little one turned four last year. I realized just the other day that I need to stop calling him the baby, snif, snif:( Hugs to you, MamaCate and MamaRhys.
Posted by:Nancy | March 30, 2006 at 10:11 AM
*H*A*P*P*Y* *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y* !
Happiest of fourth birthdays to Eleanor and Henry.
Posted by:Emma. | March 30, 2006 at 10:32 AM
Happy birthday Eleanor and Henry!
Posted by:Bliss | March 30, 2006 at 10:53 AM
Happy Birthday Eleanor and Henry!!
Fabulous post Cate, I too teared up a bit :-)
Posted by:Kate | March 30, 2006 at 10:57 AM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Eleanor and Henry!!!!!
Never, never, ever stop licking your plate clean of birthday cake, no matter what anyone tells you!
Posted by:Kellee | March 30, 2006 at 11:08 AM
Aww, happy birthday, Henry and Eleanor!
Posted by:Kat with a K | March 30, 2006 at 11:09 AM
Aww, happy birthday, Boodle and Blender! Such cuties. And you can really only play that hard when you're wrapped in pink and green-variegated love.
I live in anticipation and mortal fear of the way my baby boy grows up so fast. I love who he's turning into, but I mourn the baby he was.
Posted by:Carrie | March 30, 2006 at 11:12 AM
You have your hands full with that pair of QTs!!
Happy Birthday kiddos!
Posted by:margene | March 30, 2006 at 11:19 AM
Happy Birthday Henry and Eleanor! Happy Birthday, Mama!!
Posted by:Bethany | March 30, 2006 at 11:37 AM
Aww, happy, happy fourth!! That's huge! They sure look like they're enjoying it (grin).
Posted by:--Deb | March 30, 2006 at 11:47 AM
Happy birthday, Eleanor and Henry!
Posted by:Imbrium | March 30, 2006 at 12:26 PM
Happy Birthday, Eleanor and Henry!!!
and big hugs to the teary-eyed mamas :-)
Posted by:Lee Ann | March 30, 2006 at 01:07 PM