These past few weeks have been crazy at work so I haven’t seen much of my family. Nolan, of course, cares when he doesn’t get in his mommy time, but it affects Avery much differently. She gets super clingy and weepy. She’s my little buddy. So on Friday, after things had slowed down at work to a much more manageable pace, I skipped out early to have a special afternoon with my daughter. For our special day, she wanted to go to Build-a-Bear. Why do special days with my kids end up costing about $50? Worth every penny. She talked the teachers’ ears off all day about mommy picking her up “after nap” and was waiting at the front desk for me for over an hour because the teachers couldn’t hold her back. Everyone within a square mile knew Avery was going to Build-a-Bear with her mommy.

She picked out a rainbow-colored bear and named her – get ready for it – Rainbow.

This is Rainbow in her new wedding dress outfit complete with high heels.

Then she wanted to ride the carousel.

Then we got chocolate milk at Starbucks.

We sat outside and she dressed and undressed Rainbow. She wants her to marry Nolan’s stuffed puppy.

Then she shared her chocolate milk with Rainbow.

She kept saying over and over how excited she was that we were having a special day. Just the girls. She whispered in my ear “I love you” more times than I can count.

I’m craving these kinds of experiences with her lately because of this:

She is graduating from pre-school in a few weeks and headed off to Kindergarten. I feel like this is someone else’s life. Someone much more prepared than me. Someone much older than me. She is the baby I never thought I’d get. There will be a day too soon when she’s going to want special days with her girlfriends and significant others much more than she’s going to want a special day with her mother. I’m totally never getting rid of Rainbow.