Fourths and Tenths

This past weekend we celebrated July the Fourth and we celebrated a big birthday.

 The big One-Oh.  Double digits.  A full decade.

Pink's Tenth Birthday.

Unbelievable. 

 Her due date was actually July fourth, but she obviously hung in there for a few extra days. She always gets to celebrate on the holiday weekend though.  What's better than fireworks and swimming, ice cream, sleeping in and no school on a birthday?  Not much I tell you, not much. 

The weather wasn't the best on Independence Day, but the rain held off and the celebration was "on" at our swim club.

Pink decided this was the day to finally - FINALLY- go off that diving board.  The diving board has been her nemesis for years now.  She wants to jump off of it so badly, but she has always been too scared. A few times she has ventured half-way out onto the board, but always turns back.   

I don't know what made her ready on this particular day, but when she found me and said "Mom, I think I'm going to go off the diving board," I grabbed my camera and ran over with her.

I'll be honest... I thought it would be yet another false alarm.  She has been teetering on this love-hate with the diving board for three years.  

This time, she walked straight out, didn't hesitate a second, and...

She jumped.  

Boom. Just. Like. That.

She must have promised herself she'd do this before turning 10 - and she did.  Then, she proceeded to go off that diving board about 10,000 times the rest of the weekend.  

Just one of the many ways this little girl is growing up. She'll probably always be my conscientious, responsible, 'playing it safe and by the rules' kind of girl, but it's nice to see her break out of her shell. It reminds me of another "not so little girl" who tackled some big fears just a few weeks ago.

That "big girl" would be me and that "big fear" would be the triathlon.  

Yup, I did it... and I will write another post about that very soon.  

But for now...

Happy Birthday to one of the greatest kids I know.