Athena is 4

Though I am apparently too busy to document it, the children continue to grow up.  Here I take a few minutes to pay tribute to my fierce, fiery middle child.

Athena Lee turned four in August.  For her birthday, her marching orders were that we needed to have a party with all of her friends and all of Mazie's friends, and that there needed to be cake, ice cream, popsicles, and a "surprise dessert" (Mazie and I made her chocolate covered strawberries).  She is a girl who knows what she wants, and is getting better at using her vast vocabulary to make requests.  Ahya, who has been on the losing end of more than one meltdown induced by improper preparation of yogurt (vanilla first, mixed in, THEN honey, ON TOP NO MIXING!!) or similar missteps, recently suggested that Athena should right a book about the right way to do things.  "But I don't know how to write!" was Athena's response.  Too bad, because the book would be a long one....
While her convictions can be challenging at times, I am so grateful for her spirit and strength.  This one will not be a pushover.  Dear Athena, here are some of the things I love about you:

• Your sense of adventure.  I love how eager you are for new experiences, and how much you pay attention to details.  On our way up to Vail this weekend, you exclaimed that we were on the road to Winter Park (I-70) and were going the wrong way!  We eventually were able to show you the exit for WP, and to explain that we were going straight to get to Vail.  In the car you like to ask how we get to where we're going, and insist that we tell you all the road we're going to take to get there.  We've also started taking the bus to school together -- it's only about 10 blocks, but you love the adventure of walking to the bus stop, getting on, watching for the fire station and pulling the cord to let the driver know to stop.  

• Your independence.  In September you started your third year of preschool at Patchwork (3 days/week this year), and you could not be happier to be back in your space.  In all the time you've been going there, I honestly can't remember one day when you cried when we left you.  You are so in your element out in a world where you have a cubby and friends and teachers and endless activities and choices you get to make about how to spend your time.  I am so grateful we found such a great fit for you (and so close to home!).  More generally, you love being out in the world and surrounded by people.  Sometimes I'll pick you up at the end of the day and you'll ask where we're going... if I tell you we're going home, you tell me you don't WANT to go home!  You are an extrovert: you seem to draw your energy from being around other people.

• Your affection.  While you rarely seem to need me during the day, you do insist that I "tuggle" with you every night at bedtime.  You've gotten better at letting Dad be the one to tuggle with you when you wake up during the night and come to our bed (which still happens every night), but I am still your most requested parent, and I love that even as you get bigger, you do still need me to hold you sometimes.  I also love to watch your relationship with your sisters evolve and grow.  You and Mazie have been close your whole life... you have rough patches here and there, but usually play well together, with the types and complexity of your play growing as you get older.  What has been really wonderful in the last few weeks has been watching your relationship with Zae blossom.  From before she was born, you have been incredibly excited about being a big sister and very loving to her, but you've also struggled to show that love in a way that she can enjoy and appreciate.  Since she didn't interact much as an infant, you interacted for her, grabbing her and making her "hit" herself, for example.  Another example: when Ahya was first getting Zae to laugh a few months ago, you wanted her to laugh at you, too, and tried to accomplish this by yelling at her to LAUGH!!!!  But with Zae getting more mobile and engaged, you recently turned a corner: sitting on the kitchen floor, you made up a game involving throwing a toy and then racing her to it.  You won every time, but she was completely entertained and squealed and laughed at each new toss.  It was so wonderful to watch, and the game has now evolved so that you'll even let her win sometimes.  I am so excited to watch you continue to play and grow together.

I love you, Miss Athena.  You are our tiger, and our goddess.