Lilly is 5!

So this will get by as being about my goals on a loophole.  Goal #18- Take Lilly for a special outing.  I haven't done that yet, but I plan to. So on this special day I just want to talk a little bit about what makes the Lilster so cool.  For example, one time when Lil was really little and I was giving her a bath I got her diaper off and she started running away totally naked.  She got about 3 little strides then turned around and coyly laughed at her own joke.  Then she came back over tucked her little head on my shoulder and let me put her in the tub.  I knew right then and there that I had never loved anyone as much as I love Lilly*.  I love that she thinks she's the funniest person she knows.  I love that she has a sweet little encouraging heart under all that sass.  And I love that it's never occurred to her to stifle that strong little personality. And today is Lilly Grace Tolerico's 5th birthday!

*(It should be noted that I now have 3 other little loves of my life, Lauren, Cooper, and Chelsea; but today is not their birthday)

A few of my favorite pictures of the Pink Tyrant...

 Looking at New York city from the ferry.  She called it New Yowak Cithy, and she loved it there.  I told you she was cool.

 Not one to mind when the camera or the attention of everyone in the room is on her.  

She's adorable.  And apparently wears a lot of pink (it is one of her 5 favorite colors- she may not yet be super clear about what favorite means).

And since favorite isn't limited to one, here are a few of my favorite things about her:

She thinks that her mom and dad know everything, and that she has a lot to teach the rest of us.  So one time when I was holding her brother (very carefully I might add) she told me "Tor, you have to be careful with babies.  You can't squeeze so hard like that."  And one time she was hiking with my dad and he said he wanted to pray with her.  So he started, "Dear Lord, " and Lil said, "Dodo, stop!  I'm not the Lord."

There is not a time when I more proud of anyone than when Lil screams Taylor Swift in the back seat of my car into her sparkly microphone.  She knows every word of every song and sings them as if she, too, believes that the boy across the street should love her and not the "cheerleadow." And as if she has any idea what it's like to be "laughing on a park bench thinking to myself 'hey isn't this eeeeaassyyy!"

She is beautiful, she is freakishly smart, and she is going to be a force for this world to reckon with.  Happy Birthday, Lilly T, I love you like crazy.