Lil Tidbits at 4 years, 4 months...

Yep, today my baby is four years AND four months old. Ask her and she'll tell ya she'll be "foe and a half at Pwissmiss." I remind her on a daily basis that no matter how big she gets, she will ALWAYS be my baby. And, as much as my heart IS longing for another baby...I am really cherishing the incredibly special relationship that Lily and I have. There are so many times when it's just the two of us - and we truly enjoy each other's company. We do art projects, play Zingo, play "tag" outside, read books, tell stories, dance, sing, pray, and LAUGH...and LAUGH...(and LAUGH!)

So, here are some recent Lil Tidbits.

Her pre-school teacher relayed the first one to me...

-In class, they were discussing the differences between people - different features, skin colors, etc. Lily piped in with "My skin is tan because I was born in China and my parents flew on an airplane to get me!" Another time she excitedly exclaimed "We are different, but we are ALL God's creation!"

-Jay brought her up to see me at work one evening. She LOVES to help me around the restaurant, so I was letting her set some tables, and ring in some orders on the computer. She was so happy she nearly burst - next thing I know, she has herself wrapped around my leg and is squealing "I have DA BEST mommy!"

-There are still nights when she struggles to sleep well in her own bed. One night she called for me and explained that she was "having a hard time" and wanted to sleep in bed with mommy. I gave in and told her she could, so she began gathering Baby Spot and her blankie, but then sheepishly asked "how will my dad feel about this?" Another time she insisted that she couldn't sleep in her bed because "the wild noises outside my window make me nu-viss(nervous)." I told her to pray about it, so she did and managed to fall asleep. The next morning she told me that God took away the noises for her...and we haven't had a problem since! By the way, we live in a normal, and quiet neighborhood. There are no wild and crazy things going on outside.

The girl is a total sponge - so I am always extremely careful with the words I choose to say (especially when she is around). Unfortunately, not everyone does this. So, she has said and done some things that I don't appreciate. But, I realize these are all life lessons. We have had many discussions about only following or repeating someone who is making good choices and being a good example. Most of the time, she is really good about discerning which behaviors she can copy. However, I have still heard more times than I'd like "this is boring" or "I'm not INTO this, mom." Oh, and my favorite (picked up from a pre-school friend) "If you do that again, I'm not playing with you anymore." But, I know not to expect perfection from her...she's the first to remind me that only God is perfect - "we all make mistakes." Her pre-school teacher said to me the other day "All your days with Lily must be filled with such joy." And they are, they truly are. I think I will be forever pinching myself over this sweet girl who is so much more than a dream come true.

Pictured: Lily and her friend Molly, age 2. At our last play-date Lily said "Mowee is so cute, I could just eat her up!" (told ya she's a sponge)