tough crowd

On the way home from work/school a couple of nights ago, Lizzy said quietly, "I'm feeling sad."

"Why?" I asked, immediately assuming that it was because she has to sit in the back seat of our practically a/c-less car for a couple of hours a day. That would be enough to make ME sad.

"There's nothing much to look forward to," she said. Actually, I can't recall her sentence verbatim, but that's what she meant. Nothing on the horizon that seemed exciting.

"WHAT?!!" I shrieked in disbelief.
"A baby brother or sister?
"Getting our basement back (Tuesday) -- endless games of Ping-Pong?
"KITTIES?
"Your Grandma and Grandpa Williams visiting in a couple of weeks?
"Going to your friend Ethan's house a couple nights from now?" (she is always clamoring to do this when we drive past on our way up the street in the evenings.)
"First grade?
"Then Halloween?
"Your birthday?
"Then Christmas?"

"Oh yeah," she said. "I forgot about those things ... but Halloween is kind of a long time away," and her face fell a little.

Geez. What do we require around here, semi-monthly trips to Disneyland? I'm thinking the rest of this year holds plenty of excitement, even for a discerning 5-year-old.