Though she is a pretty volatile little thing anyway, our 4 year-old has been stressed about the new baby (due two days ago, not here yet) and prone to freaking out at the drop of a ... well, at anything.

She is stresed about no longer being the center of attention, about not having Mommy (in particular) to herself anymore, about having the privileges of babyhood shoved in her face while she has to be a "big girl." She says only nice things about her new baby brother, seems intent on being a good big sister, talks about playing and sharing with the baby, but her worries are evident and she is hair-triggered right now.

So it was with great relief and joy that we got to watch her perform happily, exuberantly, with hugs and kisses for her friends, teachers, parents and grandparents at her school Christmas program today. She was a sweet little vision in a fuzzy red skirt and faux-poinsettia ponytail, smiling, singing and dancing onstage like it's where she belongs, beaming down benevolently on the citizens. She couldn't have been better and we couldn't have been happier.

Of course, she got a little stressed at lunch following the show, but that's another story...