Both Sides

The moments I want to savor with Ariana are being fired at me like the fast pitch machine at a batting cage. Her running commentary when we drive in the car. Her skipping, jumping, and other happy footwork. Her adoration for all things nature- the center console of my car is constantly filled with acorns, leaves, twigs, and flowers she gathered.

Her mind blows me away! The things she comes up with are as amazing to me as her ever growing comprehension.

Then there are moments like last night- around 3:30am to be exact. She's been having the occasional nightmare where she wakes up a bit incoherent and cries to me about stickers trying to get her (which was the case earlier this week) or something to that effect. But last night when she woke up, apparently one of her "stuffies" snuck her an entire pot of coffee because she was revved up and going a mile a minute! She started jumping on my bed, telling me a story, then decided to pile every. single. book off her shelves in my bed. She then proceeded to demand ask that I read her ALL of them. Oh boy! These are the moments I take a deep breath and close my eyes wishing for a big package of patience to arrive on my doorstep.

Ariana is feeling her oats more and more, but for every moment that will surely result in my hair turning gray prematurely, I get moments like this:



and my whole heart smiles.