FIVE

I know I am 2 months late on this one, but I have been really busy and had to find all of my notes that I have written down here and there as I think of them.  Stella turned FIVE on November 8th.  This is big.  She has been talking about FIVE since, well, since she turned 4, I guess.  (which is a long time in kid time)  Apparently, her whole world was going to change when she "got 5."  She chose to have heart shaped cookies with pink icing for her school friends and she wanted to invite Caroline and Stella P. to the zoo for her "party." Easiest. Birthday. Ever.  In fact, she is getting really easy.  So, I have compiled a list of 10 things I love about Stella.

1. She has the voice of an angel.  And she loves to use it.  She sings....and sings....and sings.  She makes up songs, she changes the words to songs, and she doesn't care where we are or who is listening. 
2. She has an amazing imagination.  Did you know that wild dogs live in our back yard and she is the only person that can tame them?
3. She is nice.  Yesterday we were at the park and this little girl was being a jerk to her and Stella just persisted and kept ignoring the little girl's disinterest in anything she had to say until the little girl gave in and played with her.  This could be a good thing or a bad thing in the future, but I was glad she didn't throw sand in her face (which is what I wanted to do) or that SHE wasn't the punk kid.
4. She's a stellar dancer.  Actually, she's a little spastic, but she dances with reckless abandon.  Kind of like her dad.
5. Her favorite character in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was the "organic snow monster."
6. She is really funny.  
7. She's going to be famous when she grows up.  Do you know how I know?  She is going to have 5 daughters when she grows up and their names are: Amelia, Pepper, Suzanne, Suzanne, and Pumpkinhead
8. She LOVES cowboys and horses.  That's cool. 
9. She's brave. She got up on stage as Mary in her school Christmas play in front of about 200 people and entertained the crowd without a bit of nervousness.  She wanted to rock climb at the zoo and I told her she was too short.  (she wasn't)  I hope my fear of pretty much everything doesn't affect her.  I hope she stays brave and fearless.  Sometimes I need to learn to keep my mouth shut and admire her fearlessness.  I love her for teaching me that.  
10. I love that she shows her love for everyone (and I mean, everyone-even the exterminator) and doesn't apologize for it.  She loves deeply, purely, happily, sweetly, and she gives hugs like she will never let go.  I know one day she will, so I'll cherish those hugs for as long as I can get them.