Happy Birthday Funny Girl

You're funny and fearless (except for loud noises) and fussy and fast friends with strangers.
You're quirky and busy and exuberant and giggly.
You're graceful and athletic and a dancer and a sprinter...
and today, you're three years old.
This little babe who surprised us and delights us and drives us crazy is growing from infant to toddler to fully three.

Daboo was the first to celebrate your birthday last week with a one-on-one party. Cookies, three candles, and a new baby doll that drinks her bottle and bats her eyes.
And again last night, against a backdrop of powdery blue skies and Angel Fire's mountains, a table of jubilant cousins and siblings bounded around the birthday girl and Mama's bright flowered cupcake-cake.
What joy - two parties, big grins, loads of sugar, and plenty of presents. All a girl could want and more.

Happy birthday, sweet Es.
When I think of your second year, I am reminded that most everything you do is Grand - grand laughter, grand hugs, grand fits and grand joy.


Some specific memories...
- Singing, singing, and more singing. Usually with your own lyrics to the tune of Jingle Bells or B-I-N-G-O or This Old Man.
- Digging in "my" desk drawer for pen and paper and "coloughs."
- Yelling at any and all airplanes overhead, "Cappy! Be careful! Be careful!!"
- Responding to just about everything with a two-syllable "oo-oh."
- "Nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
- Your uniform of Basden's outgrown and tattered ballet costumes (how can they already be outgrown??!)
- "Actually..."
- If there's dirt, you're in it. It's what kept you entertained at all those baseball games all Spring - big flower pots full of soil. All over you and the ballet costumes.
- Favorite color "puh-ple."
- Tight brown-sugar-colored pigtails swirled atop your head. Even better with ribbons.
- Only one among your siblings to be scared of putting your face in water, even after two weeks of swim lessons. But following a 45-minute session with 11-year-old Hannah, you're quite the fish.
- Long conversations on your Barbie flip-phone with Paul.
- Deep, deep affection for Avalon and "Jeffy." Are we in trouble here?

A few more photos that capture your year...
Grins for Cappy
Kisses for Papa
Helping Mama with her make-up
Bestest friend Avie

07.24.06 - your actual birth day


07.24.07

07.24.08

07.24.09 - even more captivating today at three!

We love you, Essie. What joy and spirit your bring our home. May you keep us laughing for years to come. You are a priceless gift!