Rites of Passage

The sun shone this morning for the first time in days, and we finally felt Spring in the air. Today arrived with much anticipation, and the sunshine was a perfect addition to a big day for Anna (and for me). Today was Anna's last day nursing, and while Blake and I knew it would be a tough one for her (and, again, for me), we wanted to make it a celebration as well. This is, in a way, a rite of passage - one in a long line of transitions that she'll go through as she grows up. We decided that this, too, deserves a special day.

Anna chose pancakes and sausage for breakfast this morning. Before she ate her first chosen meal of the day, she opened a present I'd been needing an excuse to buy for some time - more footwear. Anna has been complimenting on the colorful wool slippers a couple of the kids have at school every time we go all year long. I kept saying "maybe for your birthday," but this seemed like a perfect occasion. Then we quickly cleaned the house for a showing, and we all headed out to the movie theater to see Rio. She was so excited to go to the movie theater again. It'd been since last summer. I'm not sure if she was more excited about the movie or the popcorn and candy we brought, which became her lunch.

After nap time, we all took a walk and then a bike ride to bask in the sunshine. Anna was thinking only about the dinner she chose this evening - macaroni and cheese (dairy-free, but she still can't get enough of it). And, it wouldn't be Anna's Day if she didn't get to have some of that macaroni in the bathtub.

I think Anna, despite some understandable sadness, enjoyed her special day. When we asked her, as we try to do daily, what her favorite part of her day was, she declared it to be the movie AND the gummie bears AND the macaroni and cheese AND opening a present. It was, for all of us, a very good day together.

I definitely have more thoughts and feelings about the day and about weaning. As I look at what I've written here, it feels rather superficial. But, I'm not up for putting my feelings down for the world to see. I've put them in Anna's journal instead, the one I keep for her to read someday.

Someday, she will read about this, one of her first rites of passage, here and in her journal. Someday, she'll have so many rites of passage behind her that it may seem like no big deal. Today, though, it was a big deal, and I'm so glad we celebrated it together.