month 21

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Aunt Sarah. Only she wasn't your aunt yet because you weren't here yet. Aunt Sarah was very, very curious. So curious, in fact, that she loved to get into places she couldn't reach.

One day, Aunt Sarah (though she was only known as Sarah at the time) decided that it would be really fun to see what was hidden high up in the cupboard where she couldn't reach. So she climbed up, up, and up some more until she reached the pantry. It was there that she found some interesting cans, and it was then that one of those cans happened to slip from the shelf and fall on her big toe.

And to this day she still has a gimpy toe.

Let that be a lesson to you.

And while we're on the topic of getting in over your head...This is at the McDonald's playplace. At the very top of the playplace. We let you climb into the bottom tube because we thought you couldn't get all the way up there. I don't know when we're going to get it through our thick parent-heads that you are not restrained by whatever our convention states is normal behavior for your age. If there is a stair to climb, a shelf to scale, a mother to drive to therapy due to constant running off, you will do it.

Here I am bringing you down the slide because whatever courage allowed you to climb all the way up to the tippy-top was lost once you saw that big long Tube To Nowhere before you.

I felt like I needed to go through some sort of Hazmat decontamination before I would get into my bed that night. Lily, for all of your wanderings and tantrums, I have been noticing the real "you" this month as well. You are starting to take all that determination and intelligence and making it work for you instead of against you. As you learn more words and are communicating better with me, I can see that you are feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction with yourself, and with that, a huge sigh of relief from me. Your new words this month are "see see" for thirsty, "I want", and "ice" for outside to name a few. And while your interpreter still requires a fair bit of knowledge and expertise to understand you, I can tell that you are making great strides. In fact just now you came up to me and said "I wan Dandy" So I guess Easter didn't go unnoticed this year. But all you really want to do is to go outside and play with all the kids. We bring this issue up every month, but it is so high on your list of priorities, as it should be. But as much fun it is to go outside and play with you, I can't stay out there all day, and you're just not old enough to stay out by yourself. (And frankly, until I feel comfortable BLINKING without worrying that you've run off to find that pot of gold, or whatever it is you do, it's going to be a while.)This picture is here for one reason. To prove that I do, in fact comb your hair and pull it back every now and then, and that for all of 5 seconds it looks cute. This was a rare moment to capture. I guess you were too busy with the combs to notice that I'd been playing with your hair. On the topic of your hair, this morning I, once again, painstakingly pulled your hair back in pigtails while you were sufficiently distracted with breakfast, only I guess not distracted enough, because right after I had pulled up the stray strands and combed out the sharks you reached up and smeared Malt-O-Meal all through your hair. It was a really lovely mess that I didn't have time to really get clean this morning. So I'm going to have a lot of fun washing the glue out of your hair tonight.

This is how your hair looks now. And honestly, I can't blame you. Who wants to worry about hair when there are Easter eggs to fry? Who's with me?Lily, you are such a lover. You have a hug for everybody...ESPECIALLY grandpas! But grandmas are not to be excluded.And these next two pictures are just here to show off how adorable you are this month. And sister, I had a hard time narrowing it down.You have your quiet moments, too. You love to color, and even though they look like scribbles to the common passer-by, I know that every picture is a masterpiece.As well as every line in the sand. For you it is well-thought out, planned, and thoughtfully executed. And this, I think is a good photo to end on. You look so grown up to me in this picture--a good summary for the whole month. Lily, you are everything a mom could ask for in a daughter. I love that you are sugar and spice, with a little bit of snails thrown in to add flavor. You are a beautiful, smart, funny, lovable girl, and being your mom is an adventure I wouldn't trade in for all the world.

And I can't wait to see what you do in April.