There are so many reasons why I love my girl. The first time I saw her and she bore holes into me with those big eyes, I knew I was in way over my head. The only person that's wrapped any tighter around her little finger is her daddy and rightly so. But aside from that unconditional, overwhelming "I would lay down in front of a semi for you" bond, I am also in awe of the little person she's becoming and she's constantly keeping her Daddy and me entertained with the many facets of her personality. So I thought I'd share a few things that make Ella our Bug :)
1. She's quick. And I don't mean the way she ran and tripped over her own two feet and busted her head open on the corner of our baseboard kind of quick. (Who knew so much blood could result from a 3/4 inch gash??) I mean that she thinks on her feet. (Well, most of the time anyway). She knows exactly what she wants and she goes for it. That box of cupcakes in the corner of the kitchen counter that I thought I had hidden sufficiently behind the mixing bowls? Nope. She already spotted them from across the room. And that "I love you, momma" hug that she just came up and gave me out of the clear blue? Puh-lease. It's not because she wants to cuddle. She wants a cupcake. And she specifically wants the only chocolate one that's left- the one I've had MY eye on. She obviously doesn't yet know the lengths I'm willing to go to to protect my chocolate...
2. She's no push-over. In fact, she's probably the one doing the pushing most of the time. It's no secret to any of our friends with kids her age that our Bug has a fiery temper. There have been umpteen scoldings and timeouts in the middle of playdates because, yet again, she's bonked someone on the top of the head or smacked them in the face or thrown her sippy cup/binky/Little People figurine down (much the way an enraged football coach takes his cap off and pummels it to the ground). And yet, I find it oddly reassuring that my daughter will never be a doormat. I'm just having a bit of a hard time explaining there are very few times in life when it truly IS okay to throw a right hook (thanks to Daddy for teaching her that one *ahem*) and being told that she cannot have more animal crackers isn't one of those times.
3. She's a feeler. Now, it may be too soon to know if she is a true F on the Meyers-Briggs test, but I'm gonna say that all signs point in that direction. If looks can say a thousand words, then, well, she'd be horrible at poker. As with most kids her age, she wears her heart on her sleeve, and it absolutely melts me. But, while she can be the most loving, empathetic creature- showering Milo, me, Jake or any of her friends with hugs and kisses- a mere 30 seconds later, upon being told that no, she can not watch any more Elmo, she can also emit a shriek that would grow hair on a tomato, deliver a vicious backhand, and then clear all of her Litte People off of the coffee table in one fell swoop of her forearm.
4. She sings. all. the. time. And of course, I would still love her just as much even if she wasn't constantly entertaining Jake and me with her antics on Jake's ukulele, belting out snippets of "Hey, Soul Sister" or "Heartbreak Warfare," or dancing around like a spider monkey on crack to her favorite band, Athlete. But I love that she owns the stage when she takes it. And I'm especially grateful that she hasn't gotten hooked on the Wee Sing Silly Songs collection or anything from Thomas the Train.
5. She's an awesome big sister. Obviously, she has her share of jealous moments and for some odd reason, has become very vocal lately about the breast pump: "No Momma? No, no pump milk?!". (I tell her that it's okay, it scares Daddy too). But she genuinely cares for her "Mi-yo," whether it's sticking his binky back in when it falls out, helping me cover him up at nap time, rocking him in his carseat when he starts to fuss or just leaning in to kiss him on the forehead for no apparent reason. Am I naive enough to think that will continue once he becomes mobile and wants to invade her personal space? No. She'll probably wipe the floor with him. But I also have no doubt that her "take no sh** from anyone" mentality will also make her Milo's greatest advocate and defender, should he ever need it. :)
6. She's this perfect combo of crunchy nature girl meets dress up queen. I know a lot of people will be shocked by this, but I love shoes and designer hand bags. I love to have reasons to get dressed up. I believe that walking out to the mailbox is definitely reason enough to wear lip-gloss and mascara. And I always joked that if I ever had a little girl, I would school her in all things artsy and fashionable. She might reject it and that's okay, but by golly, she's going to know the difference between a real Louis Vuitton and a knock off. However, I didn't always exhibit an affinity for these things. I was the girl running around barefoot in her yard, looking under rocks for lizards and worms and climbing trees- decorating my arms and legs with colorful bruises and scrapes. So it's no surprise that she loves being outside (really, what little kid doesn't?) but I must confess that it was a happy moment to watch her pull out my new platform wedges the other day and say, "ooooh pwetty, Momma." as she attempted to put them on. (That's my girl). ;)
7. She has a higher pain tolerance than I do. This is an extremely good thing, considering she emulates the Tasmanian devil on her more subdued days. As we were running through the park the other day, I could see it coming and thought perhaps putting her in shorts wasnt the smartest idea. Sure enough, she took a spill on the pavement and I stifled a small gasp, but before I could ask her if she was alright, she popped back up, exclaimed, "you okay??" (I guess she thinks this is what she's supposed to say whenever she trips and falls since she's heard us say it) and kept on running, blood oozing down her leg. And the blow to the back of the head that she took the other day which resulted in lots of blood left me clinging to the kitchen countertop to keep from passing out, but by the time she left for the ER with Jake, she was happily walking out to the car, picking up random rocks and chucking them across the yard. 40 minutes after that she was home with a couple of staples in her head and I was still trying to will myself to finish my lunch. Gross.
So those are just a few things that make my Bug the intriguing and nifty little girl she is. And it's an amazing trade-off: I get to teach her how to tie her shoes and count to ten, and in turn, she teaches me how to live in the moment. Play hard, love without inhibition, laugh at the little things, sing at the top of your lungs, cry when it hurts- but most importantly- always get back up and keep running. :)
I loooove you!
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