seven

Alexis Rhys is seven.

Seven.

I'm not entirely sure how this happened so quickly. I feel like, somehow, this is a particularly big milestone.  I mean, yesterday, she was six.  Which is a little girl.  A child, really.

But seven?  Seven is Big Girl Status.  It's complicated stories and rolled eyes and BieberGomezJonasmania. 

It's BFFs and mean girls and martial arts and dreams of being a fashion designer in Paris.

It's questions that startle.  You know, like "what's sex?"  Or, more depressingly, "what's a phone booth?"

I don't write very much about Alex online anymore -- she's old enough now that I let her manage her own privacy -- but for those of you who have been here from the very beginning, I'll take the opportunity today to update you and let you know that the kid is doing great.

And also, she's totally awesome.

Happy birthday, Diva.  It's so much fun to watch you grow up.

And happy Love Thursday, everyone.

Images:  Photographed in our back garden with my Nikon D300 and 50mm lens. aperture 1.4, shutter speed 1/400, ISO 200

Song:  Sweet Baby by Macy Gray.  And if you'll permit me a few moments of sappiness, it's the song that I used for this slide show I made 7 years ago, comprised of photos I took during the first 24 hours of Alex's life.