Happy Birthday, Ella

With news of tragedy swirling all around us, I've decided to focus on the fact that my daughter, Ella, turns 7 today.

Tonight, following her softball game, she gets to pick where we'll eat. I'm betting Red Robin, but you never know with this one. Tomorrow there will be a party and sleepover with several little friends. The party theme - Disco Baby! Might get loud.

But not dull. Nothing is dull for Ella, a girl with rock star ambitions, constant costume changes and a short-fused flare for the dramatic. One minute in a swimsuit, the next in an evening gown, the next in a tutu. Each with special shoes and matching hats. Remnants of past outfits decorate the halls. Playing and singing and screaming and dancing and raging until exhaustion sets in. Then, sneak downstairs and steal a Coke, to refuel. Back to wild abandon, already in progress.

This is the one who used to smuggle toys out of the house to daycare inside her boots. Who once set off a panicked search when she crawled into her toy box and went to sleep. A big bug hunter and a makeup queen. Inventor of "Ella's Famous Guacamole." She talks to "boyfriends" on a pink plastic phone, and asks them out on dates. She confesses, openly, and without apparent qualms, to being "adorable." Trouble ahead, my friends.

But not yet. The world is still a pretty happy place, well, unless we deny her gum, demand that she eat dinner or make her stop playing and come inside at dusk. Today, she's blissfully unaware of much beyond cake, presents, parties and, of course, disco, baby!

And on a day like this, I'm jealous. So I'm borrowing a little bit of Ella's bliss. I doubt she'll mind.