1,825 days ago, the world was forever changed for the better

Coco,

Today you are five. Five! Still little by most standards, but big, very very big and important by yours. This year has gone by so quickly. Weren't you just turning 4? For the past nine months, you've been eyeballing treats in the store, asking "can I get those for my birthday?!" I always say suuure, Coco, sure. I'm pretty sure I'm now obligated to buy approximately 481 treats by midnight tonight.

You, by far, are my 'easiest' child. You're just plain easy to get along with. Just plain likable. Unlike, cough, your sisters, cough, you're rarely defiant. You're not perfect, but you're close. The not perfect part would include the fact that you probably think I actually say, "Blah blah blah blah Coco" and "Coco! La la la la la!" on a daily basis.

You are also directionally impaired. When I'm trying to describe where something is, "behind you!" "the other behind you!" "turn around!" "no, now walk towards the kitchen" "the KIT.CHEN. not the back door" you look like a puppy chasing its tail -- after all, what you heard was "la la LAA. LAAA la laa laa COCO". After ten minutes of this, you MAY have located the bright shiny red object that was a foot from you the entire time. This may be a good time to note: your mom NEVER exaggerates. Just like you ALWAYS follow directions.

I love just about everything that comes out of your mouth. You have such a way of putting things that are both adorable and downright entertaining. The other day, we were playing 'I Spy' in the car and Gracie spied something blue. "It's outside. Look UP! It's all over the place!" You: "Uhhh, Mommy? Does God wear a robe? and if He does, is it a blue robe?" Last week you asked if God's foot was bigger than our house. Or was it bigger than our house AND yard? Or Phoenix? I love your mind.

You are extraordinarily loving. You often come up to just kiss my cheek or give a quick sideways hug, then walk away, never saying a word; you just wanted to be near me. Sometimes you call out "I love you, Mommy!" from the other room and you aren't even priming me to ask for anything. You'll rub my belly and say how sweet and cute your baby brother is going to be; that "sometimes he'll cry, but it's ok because he'll just be a baby and we have to keep telling him that it's ok and that everybody loves him SO MUCH even if he cries even though sometimes it bugs us." You tell Mary she's cute probably even more than I do... I wonder, is there any chance she won't get a big head? You've gotten noticeably closer to Daddy lately; it's like you two are finally "getting" each other and I'm loving all of the bughugs you're giving him.

As of late, you're obsessed with Calamity Jane and know every song by heart. You and Gracie have a particular fondness for the song 'Black Hills of Dakota' (Mary chiming in for the Daaakotaaa!), think Bill is waaay better than Danny and love the pretty dresses. For the record, Bill IS way better than Danny. You're done with naps; you'd much rather stay up and "read," which generally equates to looking at a few pictures and then demanding to watch Calamity Jane. Demanding with a obligatory please thrown in somewhere toward the end. You are finally 'letting me' (aka: not throwing major fit) do your hair -- with actual hair things! You don't understand why your braids can't be as long as Mary's and are irritated with what you get when you specifically told me LONG braids.

A few weeks ago, I was tucking you in at bedtime. You had tears in your eyes and asked if I would always be your mommy. I confirmed that I would always and forever be your mommy, always and forever love you, always and forever be so grateful to God for giving you to me. You (and possibly, I) cried and said that you loved me SO MUCH, and that you wanted to live with me forever. But then said you knew you couldn't when you grew up... but "Mommy, please PLEASE will you live right next door to me? PLEASE." YES! YES!!! YES!!!!!

I'm so totally crazy about you.

Love your number one fan and future nosy neighbor,

Mommy

*Beautiful photo by beautiful Emily.