Gooshy

Alright parents, you know those times when you look at your kid and, feeling all gooshy inside, you think: How is it possible that this amazing kid came from me? Well, today was one of those days for me. Maybe it is because we are not at home and I don't feel the pressure of the many "I-should-be-doing"s that plague me there, or maybe it is the fact that without all of her usual distractions Abby needed me a bit more today. Whatever it is, I found myself doing a lot of marveling at her today. Sure she had her moments, like when she threw a stomping fit because she had to wait for the pizza in the toaster-oven (the truly horrendous, gluten-free pizza I picked up today, which became the most expensive pieces of pepperoni I've ever bought, because they were really the only edible components of that thing), but that only lasted a few moments. She really was a gem.

There were so many things that "got me" today. Like the fact that we've removed some of her favorite foods, things that were staples in her diet, and yet she is rolling with it. While I was getting teary and feeling bad that she has one more thing to think about, she was smiling and telling me how tasty her apple was, or how her new cereal ("Gorilla Munch") was her "favorite snack". She even accepted my bluff that the ham I gave her, after the pizza debacle, was actually "pepperoni-ham" and went the extra mile to tell me how yummy it was. I love her resilience.

There was also the hour or so when we sat down to some serious pretend play. In that short expanse of time we "made" soup (cheese, tomato, pepperoni pizza, Cheerio, and Cheez-It soup that is), colored pictures, planted a garden, made a scarecrow, and drew family portraits. I love her creativity.

Finally, there were those times today when she would randomly and unexpectedly say wonderfully sweet things. It was while she was voraciously coloring Ernie's face that she told me she loved me, never missing a beat, and with no prompting from me, she was simply feeling love and wanted to tell me. Amazing. And tonight, as she sat at the kitchen table, filling a blank paper with color, she made it a point to tell me it was "a beautiful day, today." I love her sweet nature, and the gift she has to brighten my day with one simple phrase.

Yep, today I am feeling decidedly gooshy about my little girl - how could I not?

This morning, after a bath, Abby took her Big Wheel for a spin.

She did great, until she hit the gravel. She told me that
she was "stuck in the mud", and threw me the most pathetic
look imaginable. 

Then she got out the chalk and drew a finish line so she could
run some races. She's got some nice form, don't you think?

Yep - she makes me gooshy!