the Hippo Brigade

FOUR!

11 Comments

February 1, 2011

It’s not easy on me.

In case you were wondering.

You know, in case you were thinking of my emotions while chomping on a cupcake with rainbow sprinkles and dancing in circles.

Because as I watch you grow up I get all sentimental and over-emotional, and I like to have a good cry while I wrap your presents and look at your baby photos. The ones where I am squeezing you and staring off into nothingness with a placid look on my face, because at that time I kept thinking that I couldn’t wait until you were older and you were less needy. Because it was hard when you needed me all the time. But now you don’t need me so much.

Because somehow it’s all about me.

CRAP.

See how that happened? It was quick. You think it’s a post about your fourth birthday, and I just turned it into to something about me.

This is problematic.

I might be screwing you up as I’m raising you.

Nope, take that back…I AM screwing you up. Hope it’s fun for you.

No, it will be fun. I promise. I’ll be just like my mom, and you can be just like me. And then when you have a little girl, the cycle will perpetuate itself. YAY!

But seriously.

Let’s talk about you now:

You’re an outstanding little girl.

You are so bright. I’m amazed at how intelligent you are. No, really. You’re super smart, and I hope you keep that up, because I’ve been slacking on your college fund, and I’m crossing my fingers for a full-ride scholarship.

You love to sing and dance. And it’s my favorite when you do. I’ll walk into a room, and there you are, twirling and making up your own melody. You use words like romantic and beautiful and charming. And then you throw in a word like “toot” because you don’t want to appear too girly, but there’s no hiding it, you’re as girly as they come.

The best part is, when I ask you what “romantic” means, you spout off some fantastical answer like, “romantic is when you eat too many graham crackers and you ask your mommy what you should do, and she says you have to lay down because your stomach is hurting, but while you’re laying down you accidentally fall asleep, and then you have a romantic dream.”

And then I smile and nod, because somehow that made sense to me.

You have an amazing sense of humor.

You make me laugh every single day.

You are so imaginative.

You love to be read to. You’ll drop anything you’re doing to read a book.

You love eating.

Wait, let me rephrase that, you love eating sweet things.

And who can blame you? Sugar makes the world go ’round.

You’re the best shopping companion. You love to try on expensive shoes, and then you say things like, “MOMMY. Oh. My. Gosh. Look at these! Do you LOVE them?”

And I say, “Yes! I do. I love them, now let’s put them back, because mommy doesn’t want to spend (turns over shoe) 700 dollars on shoes today.”

You’re a fantastic big sister.

You’re a great friend.

And I’m so blessed to be your mommy.

I love you baby girl. Happy 4th Birthday.