Supergirl turns 8 tomorrow. She has taught me many things. I’m turning 60 in two weeks. I should’ve learned most of this stuff many years ago. But, I’ve admitted to you that I can be a slow learner.

Here are the two most important things I’ve learned:

• I’m okay just how I am. The first time I held her up to a mirror as a baby, I was distressed to see how rough and raggedy my skin looked next to hers. Then I noticed how she was looking at me. I saw myself through her eyes. She saw and still sees me, not the outside flaws, but the me she loves unconditionally. I’m okay just how I am. My dear husband (DH) has been telling and showing me this for 44 years, but I never really believed it until I saw it in her eyes.
• Remember the old song lyrics, “is that all there is?” I’ve lived most of my life feeling that disappointment. Now, when SG laughs, flexes her expressive eyebrows while telling me a secret, still takes my hand when she’s unsure about something, tells me that I can trust her or makes me laugh, I think that if “that’s all there is”, it’s more than enough.

Supergirl and I are having a fun summer “playing” together.

DH and I took her to a play last Saturday.

Then, we went to the Tae Kwan Do ceremony to see her get her orange belt.

Monday, the new colored pencils and crayons she needed arrived from Amazon.

Tuesday, she decided that we should go to see art in Washington, DC, since she is an artist. After our trip on Metro, where we quizzed each other with math problems, we were walking to the National Gallery of Art when we passed the Museum of Natural History. There was a big sign out front that said they had a live butterfly exhibit. Our plans changed. We got our timed tickets for the butterfly exhibit and spent the two hours before we could go in seeing mummies, rocks and gems, and the live bug zoo. The live butterfly exhibit was beautiful. Then, we shared lunch, visited the gift shop, rode the merry-go-round on the Mall, rode home and collapsed.

Wednesday, we went to the farmer’s market, then she made a bead necklace, inspired by the gems at the museum.

Today, DH took off work so that we could celebrate SG’s birthday since she’ll be spending Friday, her actual birthday, with her mom. After breakfast, we went shopping at the LEGO store and she picked out a set with only 859 pieces.

On the way home from the LEGO store

After we bought it, she was ready to go home and get started building. Even though there’s an American Girl store at that mall, she couldn’t be bothered with any more shopping.

At home, she taught me how to do LEGO’s and told me how good I was doing for the next 4 hours, until her mom came to pick her up (and rescue me).

Happy Birthday, Supergirl!