her world

in her world

::You've developed a new awareness of her hair... And I'm loving it!  I've waited for the better part of 5 years to be allowed to fix your hair on a regular basis.  Some days you fix it (which is always amusing) and some days you want help.  Regardless, it is always a creative endeavor - we have owl ears, cat ears, dragon tails, ornament holders, puppy dog ears, miniature french braids, and even fish tail braids to name a few choices!

::Your goal is to grow your hair as long as the lady at church (waaaaay too long), but we'll see how far we get.  

::You love sharing what you've learned at school with us, especially with Camille.  My favorite is when you come home with new little songs from music class - 5 Little Duckies, B-I-N-G-O, Christmas carols... It's always a treat.

::You still loves to sort, sort, and sort some more - buttons, foam shapes, blocks, books.  It's always interesting to hear your method, whether it's by color or size or shape or some other self-assigned method.  I love how your mind works.

::Speaking of your mind, here's one of my favorite exchanges from this week.  

Me:: "Maria, I don't want to hear an explanation."  

"It's not an explanation!  It has a period at the end."  

You're going to run circles around me one day, wee one.

::You are reading!  Everything!  You're most comfortable with your favorite Dr. Suess or Little Critter books.  I love hearing you read to Camilly after we've said goodnight.  She used to not want to sit and listen to stories.  But from you, she has learned a love of reading/listening.

::You remain an awe-inspiring-ever-loving-deeply-devoted big sister.

::I love hearing you pipe up from the backseat as we drive around town - "That says 'lion'!" or "Does that say 'Sonic'?"  Your brain is always working.

::Such as the day we brought Audrey down to the unused baseball park to run around off the leash.  You remained at the gate.  Shouting to me.  "It says no pets allowed!  Audrey is an animal, so she's a pet!  MOM, it says NO pets allowed!!!" Emphatic pointing and arm flapping.

::Even if it doesn't snow here this winter, these snow boots were money well spent... You learned to tie your shoes in one day!!!  You wore them to school on your first day back, and a little classmate helped you tie them when they came untied.  You came home determined to learn.  It didn't take long of 'make and 'x', one bunny ear, chase it around, make another, and pull!'  You've worn those boots nearly every day since.

::You have your moments, Maria Tortilla.  ("Not Maria Sophia, Dada! It's Maria Tortilla!")  You have your grumpy disgruntled days.  Days when whining prevails, when you spend a good bit of time in your room for arguing and always having to answer back.  Days when you simply can't find kind words for your sister and instead snip and shout at her.

::But in-between you are full of patience for explaining to Camille the rules for the newest made up game or project, for making silly faces at Lila to help her stop crying.  You love to learn and help in the kitchen, you love having a job - carrying the basket upstairs at the end of the day, setting the table.  You're full of questions and silly nonsensical jokes and your joy for pancakes with sprinkles is unparalleled.

::I simply can't get enough of you.

last time in her world.