4 years old

Tomorrow is Aila's 4th birthday. In the immortal words of Sara Checkal, "can you even??" No. I can't.

A-L: Pete, can you believe Aila is going to be four years old?

Pete: Yes.

A-L: No, but can you believe it?? I mean, the time has flown by. She's been with us for four years. Can you believe it?

Pete: Yes. She was born in 2003. It's 2007.

A-L: No, you're not understanding. I know the numbers add up, it's just that I can't believe she's four already. She's a little girl.

Pete: Do you remember where you were on your fourth birthday?

A-L: Presumably with you and Irma and Maria?

Pete: Yes, but in which city?

A-L: Is it north and west of Walla Walla? It's not Othello, is it?

Pete: No, it's east, and slightly north of Walla Walla. (editor's note: I checked the latitude)

A-L: Do you have a cousin who lives there?

Pete: No.

A-L: That narrows it down. Give me a hint.

Pete: We were in Liege, Belgium, at the Holiday Inn. But it was a nice Holiday Inn.

A-L: That was my fifth birthday. I've always told people that I turned five in Beligum.

Pete: Nope, it was your fourth birthday. And how do you manage to slip that into conversation? "Oh, you're going to Dublin? Well, I turned four in Belgium."

A-L: Five. I turned five in Belgium. Where's Irma? She can verify.

Pete: I don't need Irma to verify this. I was there. I know how old you were. I was one of the people in charge of you at that time. And Irma's not here. Gosh, I can't believe it was so long ago. It seems like yesterday you were four years old.

A-L: It wasn't yesterday. It was 1980, when I turned five in Liege, and now it's 2007. It all adds up.

Pete: Happy Birthday Aila.