Sweet Caroline

Although if you are a reader of this blog, you most definitely know Caroline, I thought a more formal introduction to our sweet girl would be fun and informative. So, here we go.

Five Things You Simply Must Know About Caroline

1. Her nickname is "Foopy Girl."
What? What kind of parents give their child a nickname like that? Well, to make a very long story short, Caroline was our "little fruit loop" when she was born. I don't even remember how that got started, but it evolved into "Foopy Girl," - and it stuck. Most of the time it's abbreviated to "Foop." She's cool with it. But, then again, she's just plain old cool anyway. She rocks!

2. She LOVES to dress up.
From a very young age, Caroline has shown a penchant for dressing up, and, I must say, she has true fashion sense and flair. Her outfits are never boring and she is very precise about what "goes" and what doesn't. In spite of the enormous amount of laundry that her little habit generates, it really is a joy to behold and she's reduced her Daddy and I to tears (of laughter) on countless occasions when she's strolled into the living room in one of her ensembles.

3. She is the best big sister in the world.
Caroline wanted a baby sister more than anything in the world. When we told her she was going to become a big sister, she immediately began telling everyone that mommy had a baby girl in her tummy and her name is Emily. Travis and I weren't sure how we were going to break it to her if the baby turned out to be a boy and/or if we decided not to name him/her Emily. Well, as chance would have it, the baby did turn out to be a girl and her name is, of course, Emily! Caroline is a natural and loves her sister so much. She is patient and nurturing and gentle and intuitive with her as only a sister could be. Caroline sings a song to her: Emily, Emily, Emily Kate - Your sister thinks you're really great - You're smart and you're funny and you're pretty, too - Little Emmy Kate, I Love You! Em is one lucky girl!!

4. She is in a long term relationship.
Caroline has a boyfriend. A legitimate, for-real, steady boyfriend. Her Dad's even cool with it - although it did take him a while to accept the fact that he might not always be the one and only man in her life! Caroline began going to "school" at Miss Kayce's when she was nine months old after I went back to work. Miss Kayce has a little boy named Coan who is four months older than Caroline. From day one, these two hit it off and have been like "peas and carrots." For Coan's birthday this year, he asked his mom if he could take Caroline on a date - so he called me and asked me if he could take her to Chick-Fil-A and then the bowling alley. They have other friends - but to each of them, the other one is number one. It's one of the sweetest things I've ever seen - the innocence and simplicity of enjoying someone else's company just for the sake of the company.

5. She is incredibly precocious.
...and I'm not saying that just because she's my daughter. I've spent a lot of time with a lot of children as a teacher. Caroline is in her own universe. She does things her own way and, a lot of the time, trumps my own old, addled 32-year-old brain. She constantly surprises us with her astute nature and mature worldview. Her vocabulary is busting at the seams and she has an uncanny gift for mimicry. Academically, she's already writing her name, sounding out short words, knows all letters, their sounds, and some blends, and can add and subtract on her fingers. I'm very proud of her and feel absolutely no compunction about boasting.

A little girl can be sweeter (and badder) oftener than anyone else in the world. She can jitter around, and stomp, and make funny noises that frazzle your nerves, yet just when you open your mouth she stands there demure with that special look in her eyes. A girl is Innocence playing in the mud, Beauty standing on its head, and Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot.

~Alan Marshall Beck