Five for Ry

So I mentioned that Ryah Layne turned five on December 16th. That number being used in reference to her feels like so many different kinds of wrong. I mean, she weighs about 30 pounds (her brother almost outweighs her at 3), is only about 37 inches tall (she basically looks like she's 3), and talks in the sweetest child's voice. And of all my children's births, hers is the one I remember most clearly because it was so crazy and unexpected. After spending years thinking only backwoods high school dropouts had their children in cars, elevators, or at home (accidentally), we came within 8 minutes of having her in the dang car! God does like to have all the things I am judgmental towards others about come back to haunt me:) But to get back to the point (only took me this long, and this isn't even my main point! Guess I'll really and truly never be one of those famous bloggers...), since she and Allie (yours is coming in July, Al pal!) as the middle kids are most likely to be overlooked (or so some people say, I don't think it is true of us, or at the least, I try not to have it be so), I thought I would jot down the top five things about Ryah for her fifth birthday:

~She is so easy going and easy to be with. Seriously, this kid has been easy since the day she was born. She loves people, but isn't demanding, and will find/make a friend out of anyone/anytime! No matter if she just met you for the first time in her life, she will be in your lap within five minutes of meeting you. And because she is tiny and cute, I have yet to find someone, even another mom with kids of her own, who doesn't enjoy it. Now, all of this is the truth, until, for some unexpected reason, she very occasionally, turns on you. And when she turns on you, the attitude is stunning. Fortunately, as I said, this is truly rare.

~She is quite the diva when it comes to fashion. (Please see above photo for evidence.) I have all sorts of pictures of Ryah in one crazy getup or another. And she does not leave the house without properly accessorizing. She knows how to get noticed, that's for sure.

~She is wicked smart. Now, I of course think all of my kids are super intelligent, but this kid has some seriously innate logic going on. She solves riddles, puzzles, memorizes things just by listening to others say them, plays games intended for kids older than her, and can remember the last place Adon had his monkey and deduce where he must have left it.

~She loves to sing. She, more than any of my others, loves music and loves to sing and perform. At any moment, if things get to quiet and/or she gets bored, she will break out into Taylor Swift or several other pop songs I do not know. It is VERY funny to hear her in the car or watch her in the grocery store.

~She is in charge. JD says she already has "short man syndrome." He may be right. She is going to tell you how to run things, in a very nice and congenial way, and it is going to be her way or she hits the high way. All in a very polite manner of course. Her brother loves to be part of her plans, her sisters, sometimes, sometimes not.

I think she may be the most similar to me in personality of all my kids. I love being her mom and am sad that each year I have to let her go a little bit more. But at the same time, I am so excited to see what God has planned for her. Looking foward to this year Ryah Layne!