What Kids Need to Know

As a mom, I try to remind myself often that what I do and how I act is teaching Hannah about what it means to be a person.  Talk about a reminder that will hold you accountable.  Turns out, the Kid President had the same thought, and he expresses it in the touching, honest way that only kids can.  Enjoy!

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A birthday poem

It's hard to believe that my girl's turning one,

That a whole year has passed, a whole year is gone.

I'm not sure how I feel, not sure what to think,

She's no longer a baby, but a toddler on the brink

Of walking and talking and jumping and running,

She's already gorgeous, already stunning.

She knows lots of words and can point to her head,

And gets her baby chompers brushed before bed.

She loves to dance and splash in her tubby,

She cruises and crawls and chases her puppy.

She loves to read books and play hide and seek.
She's still got a belly and her giant baby cheeks.

She leans in for kisses and reaches for hugs,

And when she's ready for milk on my shirt she still tugs.

It's hard to believe her baby days have passed by,

We no longer have nights when she wakes up to cry.

And although I don't think those long nights will be missed,

I do think I'll miss night time snuggles just a bit.

I hope I never forget this first amazing year,

Her little baby voice and her wispy blond hair

Oh my sweet baby girl, your mom loves you a lot.

I think you're the best, my favorite little tot.

I want to see you be brave

So it's been awhile since I posted here - almost six months - and our girl is almost one.  One whole year.  Already she has such a personality - she's funny and friendly and easy going and beautiful - and as her parents, we couldn't be more in love.

As her first birthday approaches, I've been thinking about what I want for her, in life, and there's a song lyric that has stuck in my head every since I heard it - I think it speaks to what I want for her.

Honestly, I want to see you be brave.

To be clear, I do mean brave, and not reckless - they are two very different things.  I think recklessness is acting without fear; bravery is acting in spite of fear.

When she's afraid to ride her bike without her training wheels, I want to see her be brave.

When she's getting teased or sees someone else getting teased, I want to see her be brave.

When she's nervous to be away from home at summer camp, I want to see her be brave.

And when she makes decisions in life that are difficult and require trust in God's plan for her life, I want to see her be brave.

I want her to know that she can act in spite of her fears, because she knows that even if her worst fears come true, her mom, her dad, her God, and hopefully some really good friends she meets along the way will be there for her no matter what.