Peyton's Place: Four

Peyton bear is four today. To commemorate birthdays I usually write the top ten things Peyton loves about her friends. Today it's my turn to enumerate Peyton's best qualities. And since she is my kid and this is her blog, she gets more than 10.

12. You are a talker. You love words. You hate silence. You talk and talk and talk and talk. Sometimes you have nothing to say but you still talk. I have no idea where you got this from.

11. You love logistics, and I think that means you will be a planner like me. You constantly evaluate any plans and make sure there are enough seats for everyone, a good pick up plan in place, and a detailed account of what will happen when. And then you repeat the plan over again. See #12.

10. You don't walk. You flit in the most girly way possible - kicking your feet from side to side or in back of you - everywhere.

9. You still wake up so grumpy. We've learned not to talk to you until you've been up for at least 10 minutes. You just need some hugs while you adjust to being alive.

8. You are clumsy as hell. You trip, run into walls and poles, and fall at least three times a day.

7. You have very strong opinions about everything. From the particular episode of the television show you want to watch to your salad dressing of choice to your outfits, you know exactly what you want and why, and don't want to hear anything contradictory.

6. You love to eat. Every night when you help make dinner, you sit on the kitchen counter and munch on every piece of food that passes by you, including all vegetables. In fact, you're likely going to be a vegetarian. You will eat meat if I ask you to, but would much rather stuff your face with broccoli, green beans, or salad.

5. You're a worrier. About everything. Even things you see on TV. In fact, during a movie you shouted out "that's so dangerous!" when a girl was sliding down a staircase bannister.

4. You're friends with everyone. It seems you know everyone at your school, regardless of age or which room they are in, know everything about them including their last name, brother and sisters names and which pets they have. And everyone knows you.

3. You notice and remember every obscure thing, and you readily correct others when they recollect wrongly. You remembered that there were two white pumpkins in the Halloween decorations box in the garage. You know that Sofia the First's pets are named Clover and Robin, and that her step-sister Amber's friends are Jade and Hildegard, who goes by Hildie. You noticed that the color of Anastacia's dress in the movie Cinderella is different from the color in the book. You can't wait to see the Benihana chef do a choo choo train, a trick you saw when you were two.

2. Activities requiring hand to eye coordination aren't your thing. You can't throw or catch a ball, nor can you skip or walk a straight line, but - in the irony of ironies - you swim like a fish and learned how to ride a bike in just two days at the age of three.

1. You have the biggest heart of any kid I've ever met. You constantly worry about others, often offer to share something of yours so that Charlotte or Scott or Amber or whoever has "one too." You offer Daddy and me bites of your desserts every night. You are the first one to race to the medicine cabinet and get a bandaid if someone gets hurt. You love to love.

Your birthdays have always been a bit of a production, and this year is no different. Full recaps of the WEEK-LONG celebration to come. But in the meantime, here are a few highlights from her Cinderella party.