Six months shy of FOUR

It’s hard to believe that MR will be four years old in just six short months. Many of you will remember that sweet Mary Reese was born 2 weeks after her expected due date. Looking back, that was sign of what was to come. Our girl knows what she wants and how to get it. She’s stubborn, head strong, and opinionated. And while many may see these as negative traits, I see them as the makings of a strong, southern girl.

True to her southern roots, she also has an uncanny way of making people feel loved. She’ll sit on your lap for hours, prefers to hold hands when out and about, gives the best hugs in town, and will smother you with kisses and compliments. She’s also pretty funny and has the vocabulary of a college freshman. MR’s love for gab started early. She said her first word “dada” at 6 months and hasn’t stopped talking since. I am constantly amazed (and occasionally embarrassed) at the things that come out of her mouth. As my mama says, “having a conversation with MR is like sitting down with an old friend. She can talk about anything”.

At 3 1/2 years old, MR’s favorite pastime is playing with her “Mickey friends”. Thanks to her Aunt Lynne, she has no less than a hundred of these little people lying around the house. She has names for them all too. There’s Mira, Mary, Sarah, Lori, twins Joe and Moe, triplets Gary, Larry, and Terry, and my favorite “Mirakeet”, who she insists looks like me. The twins, Joe and Moe are always in trouble. They own a construction company, but would rather eat ham sandwiches than build houses. And then there’s “Baby”. For some undisclosed reason, she or he (depending on which day it is) spends most of the time in the corner.

Besides playing with her Mickey Friends, MR also enjoys singing and dancing. Much like her mama and daddy, she’ll make up a song at the drop of the hat. Her love for music means that we have impromptu dance-offs throughout the day. She knows all of the words to Ray Charles “Hit the Road Jack” and is also a fan of Zac Brown’s “As she’s Walking Away”. Her favorite song though is Ke$ha’s, “We R who we R”, which is definitely an appropriate title for our little free spirit. Unfortunately, that’s about the only “appropriate” thing about the song. When I ask MR what she likes about it, she replies, “The beat mama. That song makes me wanna get up and dance!”.

The last three and a half years with MR have been absolute joy. She’s my buddy, my partner in crime, and my #1 helper. Her favorite food is a quesadilla. Oatmeal is a close second. If it were up to her (which it is a lot of the time), she would live off of these two foods. MR certainly keeps me in check. She constantly reminds me to “smile” and to retrieve my cell phone before leaving the house. She reminds me to be “patient” at red lights and makes me laugh when things don’t go my way. She loves to play school and loves to “teach” her mama and daddy the “do’s and dont’s of life”. She goes to bed with a smile on her face and a prayer in her heart, and wakes up each morning ready to tackle the day. She rarely complains and for the most part is a flexible and easy going child. I could sure learn a lot from her outlook on life. It is both a pleasure and a blessing to raise sweet MR. Spend any time with her and you will see why she has captured her mama’s heart!