To Phoebe, on her fourth birthday

17th September, 2011

To my beautiful birthday girl, Phoebe,

Today you are four years old.

Today, you delighted in everything around you, as you do every day.

The jam on toast you requested for breakfast was eaten almost reverentially, so amazed were you to receive this treat.

Your Daddy and I nearly died laughing as you took your present from Jack and Maisie, and proceeded to open the card to "read" it. "Dear Phoebe", you read solemnly, "Happy birsday. We loves you berry much. We love Mummy, Daddy, Jack, Phoebe and Maisie and we hopes you has a lovely birsday. Love Jack and Maisie Mouse".

You went off to ballet as happy as a clam, because you wanted to tell Miss Annette that it was your birthday. Everyone we met was shown four fingers which were counted proudly to show how old you were today.

Your birthday party at the play centre was absolutely wonderful. Your little friends - Harper, Aiden, Aurelia, Summer, Ethan, Melody, Cameron, Ta-ley, Jaz, Kayde - played so beautifully together. You were all dressed in fancy dress, at your request. Both you and the Mouse were fairies, and you delighted in the fairy dust I sprinkled liberally on all the little girls' heads.

Jack and Maisie both had a great time at your party. Maisie in particular was very pleased with herself, since she is new to the whole dress-ups game and thought herself quite fetching in her Tinkerbell dress. Jack's beloved (and threadbare) Superman costume had yet another showing (which pleased Mummy no end, since it makes him look much younger than his five and a half years).

Today, I was so very proud of you. You remembered your manners, thanked all of your guests, and took care of your little friends.

At four years old, you are funny, sweet and kind. You never fail to put your shoes on the wrong feet. You dawdle over your breakfast like no one I've known. You insist on choosing the colour of the 'hairlistic' I use in your tiny pony tail every morning. Your favourite colours are pink, purple and white. And pink. You have just discovered Barbies, but your baby dolls are the ultimate favourites. You are endlessly patient with Maisie. You can concentrate for hours if you are colouring in. You always want just one more "kiss and a cuddle". You want to like Archie and Ernie, but you're a little bit afraid of them. You adore Daisy and Bella. When you grow up, you want to be a princess, a fairy, a doctor and a pony. I have no doubt that you will.

I hope you had a wonderful birthday. It is impossible for me to express how much I adore you. On the day you were born, I was told of an old saying from England. When the sun came out, they would say that Aunt Phoebe had come to visit.

For me, that's what it is like every day, being your mother. Having you in my life is like the sun is shining every day.

Happy fourth birthday, my little ray of sunshine. Mumma loves you to the moon and back again.