Six years ago today I was in the hospital giving birth to the monster baby (9 lbs., 1 oz.; 21-3/4" long).

I'm never particularly sentimental about my kids getting older and especially not with Madalyn. Due to her amazing size and her maturity she's always seemed older than she was, making her birthdays rather anti-climactic. Instead of, "I can't believe she's turning X" it's more like, "I can't believe she's only just now turning X" because she's seemed that age (or older) for a couple years already. So you won't find me sniffling about her being the big oh-six today. It feels like she's been with us much longer, our pre-kid days being but a distant, fuzzy memory anymore.

We are having a party at the local family fun center this afternoon. Laser tag will be played, pizza will be consumed, and all the kids who are smart enough to show up will be taking home an enormous haul of party favors which cost an obscene amount of money per child. Perhaps I will post a picture later of the set of favors each child gets. Probably I should refrain from providing visuals and be embarrassed at being so elaborate in overcompensating for the fact that we didn't give her a party last year. Whatever. I'll figure it all out later.

The theme of the party is "Pink Poodles in Paris" and everything is bedecked accordingly. Poodles and Eiffel Towers abound. The sad thing is I think I'm as excited about it as she is. We've had this theme picked out for about a year-and-a-half now and I'm glad we finally get to do it.

The presents are in order, as well. The major item is a FIsher-Price kids' digital camera, which I'm hoping will be a hit. She's also getting a computer game, books, a board game, a card game, Moon Sand and a Leapster game. I steered clear of toys as we have more than we know what to do with, 75% of which don't get played with regularly, as it is.

All in all, it's shaping up to be a good day for celebrating this girl who came along and changed our lives for the better.