Our Favorite Age

It seems like as the years go on and Abby continues to grow and mature, one phrase keeps coming up between Jason and myself - "This is my new favorite age." It may sound hokey, but she just keeps getting better and better. The other night the phrase came up again in our conversations about Abby and I had to agree with Jason, this really is a fun time with her. Here are a few reasons why this time is my new favorite.

1. She still wants to be with me.

I have to admit that there are days when this desire to stay with mom 24/7 wears a bit thin, days when I would love to take a shower without having to compose an elaborate story for the kiddo sitting on the stool mere inches away from the shower curtain, but then I remind myself that this may not always be the case. She may not always climb up on my lap, look me in the eye, and tell me how much she missed me while I was gone. There may not come a time when she wants me to read to her, or play with her, or simply watch her dance. There may come a time when the words, "But Mom, I need you!" don't cross her lips. I've seen glimpses of that day when I take her to a friend's house and she turns to me and says, "Now go, Mom." For now though, those times are few and far between. For now she still wants me around and involved - and I will savor that.

2. She is hilarious.

It could be as simple as the outfit she chooses to wear or the phrases that pop out of her mouth. For example, yesterday I looked up to see Abby gathering things together because she was pretending to go to school. She had her backpack on and her diabetic bag slung over her shoulder, both things that she got used to hauling to school, but she was also wearing her bathing suit (just because) and her pink cowboy hat. She thought she looked fabulous - and she did! Today, while she romped around in her pink leotard and blue skirt, she happened to put on my sunglasses. She sashayed back and forth in front of me. Suddenly she stopped, posed, lowered the sunglasses, and said, "Hey, Sweetie!" How do you not laugh at that? 

3. She loves to help.

Abby is in her glory when she has a task to do. Need your table set? Have some silverware to put away? Need some dusting done? Abby is your gal. She loves having a purpose and doing it "by myself!" My challenge is finding enough stuff for her to do. Like all of us she likes to feel she is contributing, and I love that!

4. She has an imagination that won't quit.

When Abby is in imagination mode she goes all in. Let me give you a few examples. Our car is not a car to Abby, instead it is a plane and I am a pilot. She isn't satisfied until I go through my whole speech either. It usually goes something like this, "Welcome to Valente airlines, flight 731, service from home to music class. Our flight time will be approximately 15 minutes, with a slight layover at Starbucks. Please sit back and relax and enjoy your flight." I have to give the whole speech with my had covering my mouth so it sounds like it is coming through a P.A. system. The whole time we are driving she refers to me as "pilot" and enjoys asking me questions. 

At mealtimes our dining room becomes a restaurant and I am the waiter, or "chef lady". Her bed is sometimes a boat and her floor a choppy sea. Our living room is often an auditorium and we are the audience for her many performances. In short, Abby is never bored, her mind is far to busy for that.

5. Her sweetness slays me.

Last week Abby got to hold her first baby. She fell in love
 with William right away.

It is not uncommon for Abby to tell me she loves me and it is usually at unexpected times, like while we are driving down the road, or in the middle of breakfast. She also has an incredibly tender heart. She will immediately reach out to anyone who is sad or hurting, wanting to offer comfort. And if there is a baby around....well, Abby is right there wanting to offer hugs and kisses, and telling them how sweet they are. She has so much love and she isn't shy about sharing it. 

I'm sure I could come up with many more examples of why this age is my favorite, but these are my top five. If history is anything to go by Abby will continue to get better and better as she gets older, but for now we are thoroughly enjoying our lovely little lady.

Abby got a new do yesterday. She was a champ and loves her short hair.