Dear Daley

     Daley, you are turning 4 today, and I already have so many fun stories from your childhood...like the time that I left you and Finley downstairs to mix up the banana bread dough.  I thought it would be safe to give my 7 year old the electric mixer, while you stood watching, but soon found out that I was mistaken. An alarming high pitched scream reached my ears within minutes of walking away. I ran down the stairs in a panic, expecting to see bloodshed, and there you were...with your head stuck in the bowl of dough and your hair tightly tangled around the beaters. The fascinating thing was that Finley had not yet turned off the mixer, so I ran into a war zone with dough spraying in every direction and lots of screaming. I still don't quite understand how that happened, and neither do you. Were you leaning in to smell the dough? I think you were too traumatized to talk to me about it. We just laughed and laughed (well you cried until I got your hair untangled and then you laughed), and Fin and I kept saying, 'did that really happen?'

     Then there was Mother's Day, just a month ago, when I laid down to take a quick nap on the couch. You were playing outside with sidewalk paint. It was a rare peaceful moment in our house, so I laid down and closed my eyes. I was asleep for about 7 minutes when I heard, "huh...I never peed here before." Those words sent me to my feet. I rushed to the kitchen to find you standing on the countertop with pee and orange paint trickling down your leg and into the sink of dirty dishes.

   But even in the craziness, you teach me a little more about love...about giving. You like to make gifts for people, and every trip to the store holds possible gift opportunities. It surprises me how much you think of others. Even after your sister refuses to let you play with her toys, you want to buy her things at the store, or give her the one treasure that you chose at the dentist's office. The best gift that you give is grace. You forgive me when I lose my temper. You love your siblings even when they aren't kind. You give, even when you aren't receiving. That's a very noble quality, and I'm grateful for how you have challenged me. Happy birthday sweet precious girl...I love your heart. I love your big beautiful smile. I just love you.