This face says it all. This face is my life right now. See the irritation? See the condescension?

She thinks I’m a dum-dum in this picture.

She is a little person now. My little baby is less and less a true baby. Her little cheeks aren’t as full. Her little body is stretching out. She repeats everything like a chirpy mockingbird. This week after work I took her to Kroger, where I could not find a parking space.

“This is ridiculous!” I muttered to myself.

“Ridiculous!” she yelled back from the back seat.

And then she proceeded to yell “ridiculous” at people all through the store.

She does what she knows she shouldn’t. Then she grins and giggles when she gets in trouble. Whew.

But she is still a delight. A cheerful, sunny, hilarious, giggling delight. She thinks Mabel’s sneezes are the funniest thing in the world. She wanders the hallway upstairs calling, “Oh Mabuuuhhhllll?” She gives me hugs even when I don’t ask for them. She runs to the old swing in the backyard and screams “IT’S BROKEN” over, and over, and over.

I don’t know what I ever did without her.