Juliet!

My sweet Juliet turned FIVE about three weeks ago and in the bustle of the new year I neglected to post about her wonderfulness even though I intended to.  And even though it has passed, I'd like to honor Juliet with a blog just for her.  Because she's super.

Juliet is a quiet human, and when she is loud, it is 95% of the time a wonderful happy talking or laughing about something.  Juliet is soft spoken, so it's been a little bit hard to adjust to that...having to lean over and ask someone around here to repeat themselves.  Because everyone else is pretty high volume.  She is incredibly perceptive, and interprets the world around her in a very unique and original way.

Juliet always wants to be the one to pray at dinner, and always thanks God for all our blessings and often goes on a little longer than we want.  I heard her say under her breath quite a few times this past holiday season, "All I want for Christmas is a happy family."  (Usually said when siblings were arguing or getting in trouble!)  Not too long ago she wanted to listen to an audio book reader she got for Christmas but Penelope (her best friend and roommate) said that the noise would bother her.  I told Penelope she could put up with it for a few minutes and told Juliet to go ahead.  Juliet quietly remarked, "I don't want to upset my sister."  She is so sweet.

Earlier this week Juliet told me that Barbie is the richest person on TV.  After I asked why, she said it is because she has a car, an RV, a dream house, AND a boyfriend.  I couldn't really argue with her logic.

She also told me a few days ago that she had a hole in her heart.  When I asked why she said it was because she couldn't find her tiny stuffed animal, Silky, the gray elephant.  So of course today when she found him, she held him behind her back, came to me and said, "I don't have a hole in my heart anymore!" and revealed Silky to me with a big smile.

Monday I played ponies with her on the coffee table and discovered, as we were playing, that a large majority of playing is setting up everything for playing.  This makes me so happy, because I love to sort and set up figures, what I have trouble with is the pretending and the voices and the imagination part.  Sorting them according to colors or type, or episodes, as Juliet was doing, makes sense to me.  She was so proud and happy with her pony groups, I had to take her photo. 

Then I let her take some photos herself.  Not bad!!!

When she ran into our kitchen island this week and hit her eye on the corner she came to me crying.  Through her tears: "I gotta stop getting these owies!  I gotta get taller!"  That is so Juliet.  Putting it together immediately that if she were taller, she wouldn't have been able to injure herself in that way.

And tonight, while she helped me give Violet a bath, something happened (I missed it) and she turned to me and said, "Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin' sistah?"  And I just laughed, and never even figured out what she was thinking or what I was supposed to be thinking.  I just love this kid.

Juliet is brave, independent, and smart.  She is the fifth of six children.  She is the baby sister, but a big sister all at the same time.  She has never seemed jealous or impatient of Violet.  She understands dirty diapers and nap times and "I have to help your brothers and sisters with school" on a level way older than her years.  I am so happy to be her mom and see who and what she becomes.  I know it will be wonderful.