Our strong woman of grace and favor turns four today!!!! (I put four exclamation marks there to really drive the point home)
Happy Birthday to our blue-eyed, blondie Charlotte Anne. We're all in awe of your grace and strength. Your beauty and passion for life. How everything is wonder, and you soaking it all in. I'm honored to be your mama, my darling. Watching you grow is an everyday gift.
Over the years our Char Char has had some delightfully adorable things to say, as young ones tend to do when they're learning the language. These are some of our family's favorite gems as of late...
"Mama, I'm opening my eyes wide so you can see the ocean."
"Mama, this chocolate meelk (milk) is gooood."
"I don't want almond milk, I want wegulah milk."
"I love you my whole belly full!"
"I love you with my whole life."
"I love you with my whole heart."
"What's tomorrow? Is it tomorrow today?"
"Daddy, can you please put 'Silvia' on?" [Current iPod play count: 52]
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20."
"Constance, you're the cutiest awesome baby!"
"Mama, you are cute and beautiful."
"I want to pray!!!"
"Daddy, can you please put 'The Cave' on?" [Current iPod play count: 68]
"I want someone to play with me a long time!"
"Mama, I talked in my class today. A lot!"
"Daddy, I want you to read Ping to me tonight."
"Didja hear a click, Frank?"
"Daddy, can you please put 'Lippy Kids' on?" [Current iPod play count: 22 (it's her new favorite)]
"You are such my mommy helper!"
Dorothy (gesturing to Charlotte's newest watercolor painting): "Charlotte, what's that a picture of?"
Charlotte: "God knows what it is!"
"Mama, whif (if) we had a big swing set in our backyard, as big as the backyard, anybody who comed over to our house can swing!"
Mama: "Who said you could get that [treat]?"
Charlotte (finger to her chest): "Myself did."
Mama (holding back giggles): "Yourself is not the boss."
Charlotte (chewing said treat): "Mama and Daddy and Jesus and God is the boss." (gulp)
(After spilling a spoonful of yogurt on the stairs) "Mama, I didn't do it. The spoon did it!"
(Getting out the broom)
Charlotte: "Mama, may I please sweep the whole house?"
Mama: "Why?"
Charlotte: "Because it's a big mess." (Wrestles unsuccessfully with dustpan that's clipped to the broom) "Can you please take the dustpan off this sweepy thing?"
365. How her eyes sparkle love. Pure and endless.
366. The back of her head in the morning, knotted and wild.
367. That tiny scruffy voice
368. Squeezy hugs.
369. These last four years.
370. Joy in simple things.
371. Nighttime stories again and again.
372. Constance in her arms.
373. A heart overflowing.
374. Every hard day that leads to beautiful grace.
375. Her healing. Strong. Whole.
