I have this four year old girl who is very sweet.  And Smart.  And Pretty.  I’m sometimes
amazed by her understanding of what is going on around her.  Quite honestly, I have a difficult time believing she is this old.  It seems like only yesterday that Brian and I were in our pajamas in our livingroom, drinking coffee and staring at this beautiful bundle that we had been blessed with.  I can remember, when she was about 3 weeks old, she had been up all night long and I was tired and so frustrated (you know the feeling!), I remember thinking "I can’t wait until she is a toddler and we can hang out and talk and hold hands."  And that time is here and has been here for awhile.

One thing that everyone knows aboutAriel is that she has the most amazing memory.  It’s almost freaky.  She’ll remember details from 10 months ago that you had forgotten about.  She’s always had that ability.  My sister, Amy, has always said that she has a computer built into her brain.  If you ask her a question about someone or something that perhaps took place awhile ago, she’ll refer back to her computer and come up with the correct answer.  You can almost see it in her eyes, like she’s flipping through the files of her life.  I hope those files are happy and full of love and life.  She fills our life with sweetness with her soft voice and her made up songs she sings in the car. 

Anna’s loves many things.  Like Disney Princesses, playing in any type of water, sweets, especially donuts,
Root Beer (she calls it Roopy Beer, and she’s only had it a handful of times), she loves broccoli and all of her veggies and enjoys apples a lot.  But she loves nothing more than watermelon and cantaloupe, she could eat it at every meal. Ariel does prefer to be called "Ariel" and she does not take the request lightly.  She actually tells people that Ariel is her name.  Like cashiers and my friends.  She actually taught her brother this fun game, so they tell anyone they come across that their names are  "Ariel and Racecar."  They loves their aliases. 

Just like any other child, there are many thingsAriel does not like.  For instance, we found out this year that she is not a fan of ostriches or the smell of snakes. Ariel also has a good sense of smell.  She constantly smells things, one day we were going to a friends house and I told her we were going there and she replied with "Oh good, I can smell her house."  Luckily, it smelled just fine.  All her life she has been terrified of vacuum cleaners, TERRIFIED.  She is just now coming around and sometimes even takes part in the vacuuming.  A sure sign of my growing baby girl.

At night and before naps, she says to me "I want to hug you a little bit."  And it’s something that I treasure.  I always say yes, and while I’m hugging this child of mine, I cherish this hug, these moments that make up our happy life together.

Happy Birthday to my left handed Aquarian (just like her mother), my girl who loves to bake and watch cooking shows, who loves to pick out her outfits, the girl who cares so much for her family, Happy Birthday to my sweet littleAriel Banana.

An interview I had withAriel, just before she went to bed for the last time as a 3 year old.

Are you excited to be turning four?
Yeah.
Why?
Because.
Are you excited for you birthday?
Yep.
Why?
Because.
What are you going to do tomorrow for your Birthday?
uh..to get my ears pierced and to get a Build-a-Bear.
What else?
I need some candy for my birthday and balloons, I already have balloons, already.
What comes after your birthday?
Mom’s birthday.
And after that?
Valentine’s Day
And after Valentine’s Day ?
Spring.
What comes after fter spring?
It will be summer.
Do you like summer?
Yeah, that’s my favorite season, I don’t need a sunburn.
Do you love your mama?
Yeah,
Why?
Because.

Good enough for me.