Five Years

Five years ago, a lifetime ago.  How strange to think of life before you were in it.  You have really made our lives, our family, complete.  Your bubbliness and sincerity, your genuine curiosity in life. 

Having a girl has been a relevation to me.  The shoes, the dresses, the need for nail polish.  Things that were on the perfery for me as a tomboy.  You are no tomboy, but you do not lack energy and bounce.  You remind me of my favorite Winnie the Pooh character--Tigger. Your shoes get worn at the tips with the amount of bouncing you do.  You jump and you run, you giggle and sing.  You love to be tickled  and hugged and you love to color and read (one of the few activities that you will sit still for).

You have become much more observant and curious this past year. You ask questions about how things work and why.  Earnestly, you ask about why hair color is the way it is, how dinosaurs died, how pipes work, how cars and roads work.  

You are Willow the Whirlwind, on the go from the time you get up in the morning until you finally are convinced (with a book and a song/cuddle, and many, many, many "good night, now go to sleep"s) to go to sleep.  

 

You can write your name, you are obsessed with drawing rainbows and playing school and dinosaurs.  You want to be a teacher and a mommy.  You love "cleaning" and can be so helpful and so distracting with dinner.

You can occasionally be bossy "Play with me, momma!" "No, you be the momma!"  "No, the animals don't talk, silly goose!" 

You can be positively heartwarming "I love you, momma." "I love my whole family. I love Michael, and daddy and you and Gabby and Kif."  The other night, after Michael's band concert, you told him it was "exquisite."

So are you.

Thank you for being such a wonder.  Thank you for five years of the most wonderful experiences. Thank you for being someone worth waiting for.

Happy Birthday, Willow.