Mornings are generally hectic for us, as I'm sure they are for most folks. Stacie is busy trying to get ready for work, I'm busy with Lexie getting her breakfast and getting her ready to go catch the bus for school, and Jaden is busy breaking things. Today was no exception, but as Lexie was eating her breakfast, I found a video of today's ceremony in Gobbler's Knob with Punxsuwtawny Phil. Lexie's teacher does a great job of making a big deal out of things like Groundhog Day, and they had made sack puppets in anticipation of the big day. Lexie told me that she was VERY excited to see if he saw his shadow or not, so I figured she'd get a kick out of watching the video. This is what we watched:
We watched the whole video, Lexie laughing about how rotund Phil was, and Jaden peering around her. When they got to the very end, and announced (SPOILER ALERT!!!) that he did NOT see his shadow, Lexie leaped up in the air and screamed "Hooray! Spring is coming!" Then she stopped, looked at me, and got tears in her eyes. I asked her what was wrong, and she had a puzzled look on her face. She though for a second, and then said "Nothing Daddy, I'm just so happy!".
Anyone who has been around Lexie for more than three minutes knows that she can be ultra dramatic. In fact, my dad took the kids to McDonalds on Monday while I went to the foot doctor, and had to deal with the Level 5 trauma of Lexie finding mustard on her cheeseburger. After the ordeal, he remarked that he "wasn't used to girls yet". He didn't have daughters, so Lexie is a new experience for all of us. And while I am becoming conditioned to the hystrionics, yelling, and crocodile tears, today was different. It was a genuine emotional experience for her.
Of course, we relived this multiple times on the way to the bus stop. She related it to "when those ladies cry in church...you know...even though they're happy", and just before the bus came she mentioned that "I'm not even an adult yet, and I was crying because I was happy".
She is such a kick...her passion and determination are such a huge part of her makeup. I have thought many times (and been told many times as well) about how this will serve her well in her life. It makes raising a five-year old more liking breaking a wild stallion, but I know that she will be successful in her life with that type of drive. Let's just hope she doesn't choose to become the most successful art thief or something like that!
So it was a fun little walk to the bus stop and back this morning for me. I can't stop picturing her face as the pure emotion caught her by surprise and really overwhelmed her. If asked, I would have blamed the moisture in my eyes on the frigid winds outside but it was due more to her excitement and indomitable passion of life. I sure love her!
Lexie posing as a unicorn. Her words, not mine.
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