Colette | 3 years old.

Colette turned 3 this weekend. For her, the anticipation of a birthday was overpowering. Over the past 6 months she was in tears and protest several times when it turned out to be someone else’s birthday and hers seemed too remote to be real. It was a long countdown - the week before it came, she would wake up every morning and ask, “Is it my birthday today?” And then it came. “Happy birthday to me. It is not your birthday. It is my birthday,” she trilled in her deep voice all morning.

I asked Colette what kind of party she would like to have. She thought about it and said, “A hide and seek party.” So that is what we did. We had some of her favorite grown people, her imaginary friends Bindia and Jammin and just a few real children over on Saturday afternoon.

Everyone hid. Everyone – except Colette, who counted faithfully on the couch. “Ready or not, here I come!” And then she hunted up and down the stairs and in all the rooms, shrieking with delight whenever she spotted another friend, behind a chair, in the bathtub, among the stuffed animals, under the covers, in a closet.

And then it was opening presents – such heart in these gifts. From beautiful dresses and trinkets, to dolls/stuffed delights, to games and treats, to a homemade puppet and an age-old wheelbarrow. Colette was an inspired 3-year old. She was on best behavior (!) – smiling and saying, “thank you so much” as she opened each gift – a hug for everyone at the end of the tradition.