Happy Birthday Payton!

I can't believe it. Payton, my "first-born in the days of my tribulation," the heir to my birthright (unless she should sell it to Piper for "pottage of lentiles," M&M's, or any snack covered with processed cheese powder), has turned four. Somehow Payton's fourth birthday has hit me harder than Melissa's upcoming 30th birthday at the end of the month. I feel old, and given my law school graduation next month I am declaring this my official "quarter-life crisis." Payton celebrated her actual birthday in Washington. Grandma and Grandpa Gilbert, more commonly known by Payton as "Tractor Grandma and Grandpa," treated her to a breakfast of pink Mickey Mouse pancakes. That evening Payton and uncle Todd shared a birthday cake (the corner piece was missing because Grandpa couldn't resist). We thought Payton would be thrilled to get back to Kansas and see the new "big girl" bike we got her, but instead when she saw it she calmly stated, "I didn't know I needed a new bike." We hope she'll appreciate it more when this winter weather finally goes away. When we told Payton that we were going to have another birthday party for her at Grandma and Grandpa Ross's house (more commonly known to Payton as "Pink Grandma and Grandpa"), she exclaimed "but then I'll be six!" Apparently she saw her life quickly slipping away, thinking she had turned four on her birthday in Washington, five when we gave her the bike, and would now turn six at Pink Grandma's house. Her math was good, her logic bad. Needless to say, our baby is growing up!