Big Kid Milestones

When our girls were still brand new to the world, there was a lot of fuss made over those first year milestones. First smiles, first laughs, first words, solid foods, crawling, walking, sleeping through the night - each new milestone came startlingly fast and I would race to faithfully record it in the baby book. Now that Janelle is older, I am discovering a whole new set of milestones that perhaps aren't proclaimed in any issue of Parents magazine, but seem to be pretty important to our family, at least.

For instance, tonight was Nelly's very first fireworks show. She has been looking forward to it since St. Patrick's Day. Really. It's the kind of anticipation usually reserved for Christmas, birthdays, and chocolate frosted donuts with rainbow sprinkles. Nelly, in a feat that deserves recognition all its own, has slept through our town's fireworks display for the first three years of her life. (Apparently, it didn't matter that we lived so close to launch central that each thunderous boom rattled our windows and echoed in our chests.) To Janelle, being big enough to stay up and watch her first ever fireworks show was a big stinkin' deal... a big stinkin' deal that we have heard about every day since St. Patrick's Day. When are the fireworks? Are they today? What will they look like? Are they loud? Is Lilly big enough to stay up to see them? Are they scary? When are the fireworks?

Did I mention she was a tad excited?

The thing about fireworks around here is that there is no warning - no fancy countdown or climactic theme music. There is just a quiet night sky and then a sudden deafening blast that makes thunder seem a little wimpy. The initial shock left Nelly crying and clambering into my lap. With my palms clasp tightly over her ears, she continued to stare, wide-eyed at the display until soon her fear was replaced with wonder. She is now hooked. If there was a Fireworks Fan Club, we would sign her up. (Although she would probably start a committee to investigate whether or not all those BOOMS were truly necessary.) When we play princess and dance at the ball, the evening now ends with a pretend fireworks display.

To this mother's eye, there seems to be a new strut in her little 3 year old walk. Look out world: Janelle has conquered fireworks. Next on the milestone list: Adult toothpaste & making her own PB&J sandwich.

(And because Lilly tries so hard to follow in her sister's footsteps in all things, she slept soundly through every explosion.)