Clover Lane

1. How you adore The Sound of Music soundtrack in the car and we've listened to it so many times we all want to hurl ourselves out of the doors into fast moving traffic.  Seriously, Patrick says, "Mom I can't do this anymore! My head hurts!"  Of course I let you listen when you are running errands with me during the day, and sometimes I look back and your mouth is in a perfect O as you are belting out the tunes. You know them all by heart and sing them around the house. I love when your little voice goes into the shaky church lady or opera singer mode.

2. All your faces and expressions. You have so many. No one but us gets to see this side of you as you are incredibly shy around anyone else.  But you are silly.  Dad often says you are the funniest of all the kids.  And your laugh is so so contagious. If Matt gets you going, you laugh so hard you can't catch your breath. No one in this world could keep a straight face when you laugh.

3.Your dancing skills are superb.  I am holding off as long as I can before I get you in a dance class but I know you will be in heaven. You love to dance.

4.Today as we left school after the geography bee you said, "I didn't get to see my Bubby!" You adore Patrick and he adores you back just as much.

5. How if someone asks you if you want more food or drink, you say, "I'm fine, I'm fine" like you are thirty years old and don't want another refill.  I have no idea where you got this but it makes me laugh every time.

6. Your incredible passionate love of babies. You notice them everywhere and can't take your eyes off of them. You put your hands together and say "tiny tiny baby" when you see a newborn. You play with your babies all the time, wrapping them up and shushing them and bouncing them-you have the mom bounce down already and you are only three! I wonder what God's plan is with this, seeing that you would just die and go to heaven if you could experience a baby sibling. I ask you how many babies you will have when you are a mommy and you say fourteen. Maybe that's the plan.

7. You love clothes but you hate having your hair washed, combed, brushed, done in any way. A bow or rubber band never lasts more than one hour.

You are such a joy to have around and your "three" can't be cuter. I try not to think of you turning four next year, because I know that at that age you will be more kid than toddler, and when I think of that it feels like my breath gets knocked out of me.  How fast time flies!