My Awesome Daughter

I had planned on writing a blog about my daughter on her 6th birthday regardless of the past 24 hours.  Yesterday, my facebook status:

Happy 6th Birthday to my very beautiful, funny, smart, outgoing, vivacious, sweet, kind, silly, confident, loving, AMAZING little girl. You are truly my role model.

 Sappy, I know, but the truth.

When I write about my daughter Zoe, I want you to know that I am being completely and totally honest- except about her name.  But truly, she is a pip.  Two of my neighbors told me recently that they can "hear" my kids in my blogs.   I swear I am not creative enough to make up the things they say.

I think what makes my daughter so special is that since birth, she's sparkled.  Not in the "LOOK AT ME!  LOOK AT ME!" way, but in the way that she inherently knows she is terrific.  She was not a pretty newborn- she had the world's largest cheeks, baby acne-- but still she drew people in.  When she was 6 months old, she would make faces in the mirror to crack herself up.  I used to say we lived with a baby Gilda Radner-- her expressions and timing were perfect.

But what really amazes me most about my baby girl and why I really DO want to be her when I grow up, is her quiet confidence.  She is very comfortable being herself.

In pre-school, they have windows to observe.  One day I thought I should drop in and see how she was doing.  She said one little girl was mean because she wouldn't let her hug her.  Zoe is VERY affectionate and touchy.  I am not, so I could see where the girl was coming from.  I asked the mom about it and she laughed and said her daughter was really freaked out by it.  And of course, my baby girl then became obsessed with hugging her.  As I watched through the window, Zoe began her attack, the other little girl said something and Zoe looked like her heart was broken.  It killed me to see her like that.  Then, about 30 seconds later, she started making faces and doing a funny dance.  She got them laughing and the next thing you know, they were all playing together-- no drama.

That was the moment I knew I didn't need to worry about my daughter.  She had found a way to fit in-- her sense of humor.  She was 3 1/2.

I asked her once what made her so happy.  She smiled, but her hand on hip, threw the other hand in the air and said "Me.  I make me happy."  Truer words were never spoken.

She also isn't afraid to ask for what she wants.

When she was 4, we were at Kennywood.  She and her brother were waiting for the kiddie ferris wheel.  Zoe asked if they could ride in the pink car.  If it had been me, green being my favorite color, I would have stood there chanting in my head "I  hope I get the green one.  I hope I get the green one," and if I didn't, I would have solemnly gotten into whatever.  The ride operator said sure, let a few people go in front of her (which she had no problem waiting for what she wanted), and she rode in the pink car.  With my son who is like me and never thought to ask.  

Every time we go somewhere and they give her crayons or a balloon, she always asks for pink or purple.  But the best part- if they don't have it, she doesn't throw a fit, she says thank you and takes what they have. 

Apparently, it's easier to get what you want if you actually ask for it.  And if it doesn't work out, go with it.  Hmmm... interesting concept...

She is a blast to hang out with-- I can take her anywhere.  In fact, the last time she had a temper tantrum was 2 years ago at the pottery place when she learned that they would be putting the worm she had painted into a kiln to fire it.  I can't say I blame her for freaking out. 

My daughter is an original.  She is spunky, yet gracious.  She is confident, yet kind.  She is funny, but not obnoxious.  She is creative, but not flaky.  She is a loyal friend, but also calls a friend out when they are doing something wrong. 

She is everything I could ever dream of her becoming-- and she is 6 years old. 

I feared having a daughter.  I am not a girly girl.  My son and I are a good team.  What I did not count on was how much I would learn from her-- she is magical. I smile more since she's been in my life.  A lot more.

So when you see my posts on Facebook that I want to be my daughter when I grow up, it's because she just did something that I wouldn't have the nerve to do- not at 6, not at 41.

She is my hero and I adore her.

Happy Birthday!