Little D turned 6 today -- presents were opened at 6:30 am, but it was actually the third time she's gotten gifts in the past week, with more to come at her mother's tonight and more from various other relatives over the coming days. I'm taking off from work an hour early, so we can eat our cake and ice cream this afternoon, before her mother's visitation starts.

Grandma & Grandpa Dahlsad, my parents, showed up "unnanounced," bringing Destiny a little red wagon as a gift. Dad had an interview with Crystal Sugar yesterday, giving them a wonderful opportunity to see Des on her birthday (the first time since 1997). I knew they were coming, but Des did not -- at around 5:30 last night, there was a knock at the door. Des was closest to the door, so I told her to answer it. She paused at the sight of an unattended wagon sitting in the hall. "Someone brought me a wagon!" she announced, and froze as Grandma & Grandpa appeared from around the stairwell corner. A big smile appeared across Destiny's face; even though the grandparents were here only two weeks ago, Des only gets to see them a couple times a year, if we're lucky.

Six years -- she's a third towards adulthood, three times as old as she was when her mother left, and we've lived in this apartment over half of her life. Deestiny has started school, the training wheels are close to coming off, and she reads very well. From bassinet to crib to bed, so much has happened, and so much is left to come.