Our Baby is Five

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She had a meltdown:
This Baby of ours.
“I don’t want to change numbers!”
“I don’t want to grow up!”
For months, weeks, days she has been 
rising in the mornings with 
a most cheery:
“5 more months ’til I’m 5!”
“2 more weeks ’til I’m 5!” 
“3 more days ’til I’m 5!”
But in the eve of “3 more days…”
it all hit her little mind and heart
well,
like a ton of bricks
I guess.
 I held  her while she cried and cried.
And I listened.
Listened.
Because really,
what do you tell a 5 -year- old about growing up?
Growing old-er?
 I don’t want you to change numbers.
I don’t want you to grow up.
You are our baby.
The youngest.
The littlest.
So tiny.
Even still,
 you have been growing right before my very eyes.
How dream-like,  how surreal.
Just a year ago?
You look
So young.
And it seems
yes, we all say it:
Just
Like 
Yesterday.
 
How we must love.
Even caught up in our own getting old
-er.
We must
Try.
Love the years, love the months, love the days
and love those moments in between
because Baby
 tomorrow you won’t be 5 anymore.
So, Scarlett Eva Hughes
Here’s to being 5 for a moment:

 
January 23, 2009 
Englewood, Colorado
7 lbs.11oz.
 

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Year A New

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View from the bottom of the sledding hill.
Looking west towards the Meyer homestead.

Things can change quickly where I live.

Within an hour of bumpy sled runs

rattling at my  bones,

I watched this view go from a balmy January day

to downright cold.

I could feel it in my hands, in my arms and in my backside.

While I made sure the troops were bundled and snug,

I was ill prepared for the change.

Not worried about gloves,

I forgot them at home.

Left my snow pants way down yonder in the car–

didn’t think I needed them.

And I wore a thin jacket

instead of my cozy down-filled.

At the end of one of our sled runs

the 4-year-old and I laughed.

I for one was glad we had “made it” once again.

Looking up to see the gray clouds rolling in

I uttered a silent prayer of thanks for this view:

Cold it was,

bringing

beauty

and Change.

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Anna, Lily & Scarlett at Meyer’s Ranch sledding hill. In milder weather we can walk here from our home.

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Scarlett was done.