Ellie Week: little big girl.

tonight is this little girl's last night being 3.

lately when i see Ellie in the morning she always seems to have grown 2 inches and lost even more baby chub and grown even more hair. and then she talks all grown-up when we talk; like tonight when i told her M had another church meeting and she responded by saying, "anooottthher meeting? that stinkkks." and don't even get me started on her sophisticated (picky) palette- requesting foods like laughing cow cheese, tri tip, greek yogurt with honey, and edamame. she even refuses French fries and fruit snacks. i mean really? she eats like a 40 yr old health nut.

and yet in spite of all of these ways that Ellie is changing and learning and growing up before my eyes, i also look at her and am relieved because she is still so little. she has not been tainted by school and the big kids yet. she still lets me hold her and kiss her cheeks freely. she looks forward to dressing up and bed-time stories and dance parties and can be found snuggling/caring for one of her stuffed animals or babies at any given moment during the day. she cries over ridiculous things and laughs at even more ridiculous of things. and she still thinks mama is wonderful and dad is her hero.

and so even though tomorrow she turns four, and she's getting bigger, she's just a little big. and that makes me oh-so-glad.

xoxo