wren

darling wren. changing every day. just six weeks ago you were so much younger. quietly padding into our room to witness your brother's first seconds of life. his very first breaths. a tiny mite in your pink jammies with the horses. i will never forget the look in your eyes. eyes big and round with amazement and curiousity. wonder and bewilderment. so gentle and sweet and barely past a babe yourself. six weeks later you are already older. stronger. the big sister.

you've lost that toddler weightless feel. you are solid. feet constantly dirty from playing in the garden. calloused and able to walk on bricks, sidewalk, grass, gravel. you climb fearlessly at the playground, amazing other parents when we say you just turned two. you swing from monkey bars. climb to the biggest slide, bold and able. so strong and amazing balancing skills, we don't worry too much because we know you are so capable. you are smart and confident. endlessly stubborn. assertive and strong willed. my girl knows her mind and doesn't back down. a trait i am proud of you for having, no matter how frustrating it is coming from two year old you.you are suddenly and passionately into dress up. dancing. performing. singing. princesses. castles. tutus. you have become such a big girl. you are constantly standing proudly on top of the trunk in our living room ("your stage") and belting out songs. sometimes they are songs we know. sometimes they are songs you write. sometimes they are mashups of several different songs. you yell to us "dress up with me! turn it up! turn up the music!" your dad puts music on and you go crazy, dancing and spinning and laughing. "daddy, its your jam!" you love to dance with your dad.
socially you are exceptional. your verbal and listening skills are unreal and we have learned that we have to watch what we say. in the car we are talking and you constantly interrupt with, "mama, what you talkin' 'bout?" you pick up on EVERYTHING. so very aware. you play with maia, lily, olive and luna. these are "your people" and you love them. you are learning how to communicate with them, play and share, and for the most part are right there with them, even though they are all older than you. you are two going on five.
and you are a sister. you have adapted and adjusted to this role with amazing grace and love, especially for being so little yourself. you have been helpful and caring and often protective of baby kaj. you lean in towards him and say, "ohhhh, he's so cute!" You proudly tell strangers, "that's my baby. that's baby kaj!" you always want to hold him. and you do your best to be gentle, even if sometimes you want to squeeze him so tight. you grind your teeth and pinch his toes or hug his neck, "thatsmybrother" you say through your teeth. but we know you love him. when you woke from nap the other day and noticed kaj wasn't in his swing(he was sleeping in the other room) you burst into tears. "our baby kaj is gone!" you cried. you are so good to him and to us and we love you so much.