little mermaid & family

we had another amazing conversation tonight with the now three year old. over the past few weeks she had let us know that she is now areil, the little mermaid. i am now king triton, silas is the clownfish, her best friend, and sherry is "the crab." until tonight it was just something she would say in the car, but tonight we went to the next level. i was standing by the kitchen table and here is how the conversation started:

b: uh, king triton?

l: what about king triton?

b: no, you say, "yes, ariel?"

l: oh i see, yes ariel?

b: i can't find my purse. can you help me, king triton?

l: sure, ariel, where did you have it?

b: it's in the car, king triton. can you change me, king triton?

l: sure ariel, you need to get your jammies, first.

b: oh, ok. i'll go get my jammies from the crab. (this put me over the top in laughter). uh, crab, can you change me and put on my jammies?

s: sure hon.

b: no, you say, "sure, ariel." uh, crab, can i have a snack?

s: sure, go get something to eat from daddy.

b: no, i'll go get something to eat from king triton. king triton? can i have a snack?

l: sure ariel.

b: thanks king triton. hey, is that clown fish asleep?

l: yes ariel, the clown fish went to bed.

i could go on. this went on for well over an hour. sherry and i were rolling.

Moose

So my little moose turned three years old today at 1:29pm. That time will forever stick in my mind, our lives have never been the same since. I can't think of anything better that's ever happened to me than to be blessed with this little girl. She is truly amazing and I'm so proud to be her dad. She makes me laugh with the things she says and does. It's a miracle to watch her learn new things each day. Sometimes I'll tear up just by watching her sleep or eat or color or play with her brother. I can't explain it, but it's like in those times I feel like I've been given a gift I didn't deserve. This week I read a passage in a book called Searching for God Knows What and I came across this portion: I recently read and interview in which the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison was asked why she had become a great writer, what books she had read, what method she had used to structure her practice. She laughed and said, "Oh, no, that is not why I am a great writer. I am a great writer because when I was a little girl and walked into a room where my father was sitting, his eyes would light up. That is why I am a great writer. That is why. There isn't any other reason" Amazing. I hope I never forget that. I want my little girl to know that she lights up my heart. On her third birthday I just want my little girl to know that she is loved by her dad. I hope she knows that. I want her to know that as she grows up. I'm so glad to have had these last three years.