Seven.

I can't even say I would like to have my days filled with a general fluff of the house in the morning and complete freedom from there on out. 
I'm too twitchy.
Luckily, that is not the case, so here I am playing catch up, writing the girls birthday blog a full week and a half late. 
I'll do my best to leave out pinings for the oldest who is making his homecoming from camp today. 
I'll also leave out any gratuitus mentions of all the mommy time the youngest got with brother at camp and sister at grandma's.  I won't talk about how we sat outside the yogurt shop slurping chocolate off gummy worms or how we poured over a bike map spread before us in McDonald's Playland, plotting our morning ride. 
No. 
This is about the girl.

Quickly approaching age 3, she still didn't talk.  If you've met Ethan you would know why.  It was time for a girls trip.  I loaded her up, fuzzy pink backpack with the horsey sticking out the back and we headed for the airport.  Nodding in confidence to all the "how cute's" and "isn't she adorable's". 
I knew. 
She was.
That trip marked her first major change.
She was able to speak!
She was also infatuated with the in flight bathroom and potty trained herself.  Nice bonus!
In a blink, seven candles ignite on birthday grasshopper pie. 
An unconventional request from an unconventional girl.
Waiting 12 weeks to change out her first pair of earrings, inaugural pair removed, she refuses to let me near her.  Holes closing before my eyes. 
This was hard.
I was mad.

Not so much that I paid for the process and wanted a refund.  Well, maybe a little.

But that she kept repeating over and over "I'm not strong enough,  I'm not strong enough"

What?!

The little waif that climbs to the top and over anything...not strong enough?

The princess that tackles her older, larger brother without smudging her eyeshadow...not strong enough?

The athlete that takes no prisoners on the way to the goal, not afraid to hone her elbow jab skills on her own team mates...not strong enough??
Seven.
Will of her own firmly established.  Lineage recognized.  Chuckling softly at family traits awaiting her own brood.  I love my girl.  Her mental fortitude alone confirms the strength she believes she lacks.
You are mightier than you know my daughter.