Half Birthday Girl

To Lucie, our wonderful-in-every-way girl, you can now declare with pride that you're "Four AND a half!" When asked what you wanted to do on your half birthday, you said you'd like to go to Hallmark and maybe, just maybe, get a new stuffed animal, preferably a kitty. You charmed me and the sales lady, and came home with your first Hello Kitty friend. I'm sure it is one of many to come, if you're anything like me or Aunt Rach as little girls.

Here are a few glimpses of you at this fun-loving age...

Reading together is one of your favorite things to do. You could spend an entire morning sitting on my lap and reading from a pile of hand picked books. Some recent favorites include The Magic School Bus, poetry by Shel Silverstein, and we just finished our first chapter book, Gooney Bird Greene. You are a patient and quiet listener, and always find humor in the little details, from words to pictures.

With all this reading, you are constantly picking up new vocabulary words and incorporating them into your speech. When playing a game recently, you called out happily, "This is brilliant fun! Brilliant fun!" We had just read a book about a dog in London so I knew exactly where you got that phrase. It's fun to see you try out new things with language, and show your facility with words.

You are a creative thinker, and an active problem solver. We had been having trouble with our morning routine, and were looking for solutions to help you and your brother get dressed more quickly (and with a more helpful attitude). You proposed a special code word and a hiding place for green blankie and Bunny, so you would know exactly when it was time to get dressed and would not be distracted by loved ones. The plan has worked great, and has made getting ready for preschool much more fun -- with plenty of time for breakfast!

We all count on you for fashion advice. You often compliment me on my shoes, clothes, and jewelry and love it when we all wear our "party clothes" together. When I came downstairs for a night out last week, you said to me, "Mommy, I like your boots, but why are you wearing your jeans with the rip in the knee?" As always, you're right -- though the rip was not intentional, it's definitely more of a daytime look.

You are eating and growing like crazy. Lately, you've been known to have 4 bowls of cereal for breakfast, 2 sandwiches for lunch, and 6 pancakes on breakfast-for-dinner night. You love any sort of bread product, and your most favorite snack is butter on wheat bread. All this eating has shown on the height charts as you've shot up lately. Dresses that used to fit perfectly last fall, now fit like shirts on you. Sadly, that means your two favorite dresses, crown dress and cake dress, must soon be retired unless you change your mind and decide to like wearing pants under them.

You love back rubs and leg rubs, fairies, making up games and shows, coloring, crackers and peanut butter snacks, making families from your stuffed animal "loved ones", pretending that Ryan is your baby brother, and quiet time with green blankie.

You're our sweet, amazing and bright girl, Lucie, and we love you like crazy!