How is she three?

Happy happy birthday sweet Caroline!  Your Daddy and I can't believe you're three whole years old - time flies!  It seems just like yesterday that Mommy was walking across the stage at Birmingham-Southern receiving her Master's Degree on a hot sunny day and then hosting friends and family at a craw fish boil when you insisted you were coming into the world - a week early, just like your big sister!

May 15, 2011

One of my favorites: a big sisters adoration and untrusting parents

And here you are today - three years old with more energy than 10 Energizer bunnies:

May 15, 2014 - 3 years old

And boy has it been a whirlwind of a ride the past three years.  You are full of spunk, life, joy, screams, squeals, laughter, sass and so much personality that it just plain oozes from your ears wee one.  So, in true Cain family fashion here are some wonderful things that we love about you that make you you:

• your hair, child your hair!!  It has literally exploded into big curls, all over your head.  It's magnificent and certainly plays into "the bigger the hair, the bigger the personality"

• you are talking up a storm - it took you a while,  you do have a big sister that is quite verbal after-all, but now you can fully verbalize what you need, when you need it and why!  My favorite thing that you say backwards is "What sound that make?"
• you are mischievous - oh so bad sometimes - you love to push your sister's buttons and you're into everything.  We can't turn our backs for a second.

• you are built like your Mama - short and round, and of course I mean that in the best way possible. We've got junk in our trunk  - and both have to compensate for it in the size department.  Your shorts this summer are 4T - but you wear a 3T in your shirts.  
• you love to sing - to the top of your lungs - your favorites are: Good Morning Group (you sing this at school as your opening song for the day), God Our Father (blessing), Jesus Loves Me, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Father I Adore You, Irish Blessing.

• you love to dance - it cracks you up to let loose and act silly.  It's all about entertaining others - you work hard to get folks laughing.  You'll be a great stand-up comedian one day!

• you hate to clean up, but love to make huge messes.  This really bothers Catherine Ellis and Mommy - we are neat freaks.  You?  Not so much.
• you love to read - we still read a million books a day.  
• you are OBSESSED with babies.  You have to hold them and think that you're big enough to be a Mama.  It's the cutest thing ever to see you with your baby dolls, talking to them, and then your real babies that you adore so much.  Your favs at this time are: Parker, Lily and Charlie.

• you adore you big sister.  Anything Catherine Ellis does, you are doing along with her.  You want to be just like her, well except when you don't.
• you're still a great eater - chicken and fries and grilled cheeses are your favorite.  You like healthy stuff too, like cottage cheese, yogurt, salad and fruit.

• you are such a little mama and it shines through at school.  Ms. Micki said it best a few weeks ago.  "Caroline spends all day making sure her friends are following the rules and making the right choices and I spend all day making sure Caroline is following the rules and making the right choices."  Well said Ms. Micki, well said.
• you are fiercely independent.  I think Shakespeare said it best "Though she be but little, she is fierce!"

Caroline, you have added so much joy and delight to this family.  You've also made us stronger, shown us that we can weather anything (colic is the best boot camp ever, your Daddy and I are still recovering), and made this family of four a roaring good time.  May you continue to develop into the gift that God has placed you here on earth to be.  May you delight in His and walk in His ways, to the glory of His Name, dear, precious one.  We love you as wide as the sky and as deep as the ocean.