Our baby girl is 5! She is a beautiful, emotional, intelligent little girl who tells me tenderly, "you're the best mom in town," and turns around for some animated and very vocal kung fu fights with her dad.

Maybe it was how fast these years have slipped past, or the way her dad so eloquently noted, "when this amount of time goes by 3 more times, she'll be on her own", but this birthday really made me tear up. My girl will be starting school this fall, and the little one will be in playschool. It is all whirling by on fast forward, with no way to press pause.

D is also growing up in much more of a hurry than her big sister and it makes me both laugh and worry. Her personality is quirky and a great sense of humour oozes out. Despite her favourite jokes being bum and fart related, and usually not making any sense, her laugh is deep and contagious and she could charm anyone.

I just want to hang on and do it all a little slower, give it a little more time to soak in, but the older they get the faster it goes. Or actually, the older I get the faster it goes. Anyway, the point is, it goes. Fast. Sometimes I wish it took them twice as long to grow. But I can rest easy as I have been assured, "Mom, I'll never leave you." Um, we'll see.