This is the earliest digital photo I have of Jaycie. From my best guess this was taken in the summer of 2000, right after I got my very first digital camera. She was three and used to make me play mean one and sad girl over and over again. This usually consisted of me pointing my finger at her and saying, “mean, mean, mean.” Then she would throw herself on her pink blanket and pretend to sob. It was a riff on that scene from “Cinderella” where she throws herself on the fireplace hearth and weeps about something.

This the latest digital photo I have of Jaycie. It was taken in September when we went to the State Fair. Today she turns eleven. ELEVEN. I chatted with her earlier today to wish her a happy birthday before she went to Wisconsin to spend the day with her grandparents. She told me she feels old and is enjoying the fact that for right now she’s eleven and Max is only nine, not even two numbers yet (Max turns ten on the 25th of this month).

She also informed me that now that she’s eleven she finds farts, poop, pee, and everything to do with butts disgusting. This came as quite a surprise to me because on Thursday she laughed so long and so loud at this Threadless tee she got in trouble. What a difference a birthday makes.