My Sweet Allison

I have said it before and I certain I will say it again - the Lord gave us Allison to keep us from ever being bored.  Her actions, her words - they definitely keep us on our toes.  This third daughter of mine, this wonderful little gift from above - she is something ....

There are days (like Friday) when that "something" is a total drama queen diva.  Every teacher (pre-school and Sunday school alike) tells me how quiet and well-behaved she is.  I always look at them funny and then tell them how glad I guess I should be that she saves her other behaviors for home ...... I tell you there are many days when I shudder at the thought of life with Allison as a teenager. 

And there are days when I know for sure she is mine.  Like the other day - when I dared to laundry without her.  She loves to do laundry with me.  I am slightly OCD when it comes to laundry (as in it is almost physically painful for me to see a laundry bin full of dirty laundry) and therefore Allison has ample opportunity to do laundry with me.  But the other day - when she was picking away at dinner and not ever really eating (as usual) she ended up at the table alone.  I went to switch out laundry loads and sure enough, in comes my helper.  I had to - with a straight face - tell her "No, you may not help me with the laundry.  You didn't eat your dinner" to which she gave her best "poor deprived me" sigh and sad face.  She wanted to know if she could help with the next load and I told her only if she ate her dinner first.  Poor thing - I could see the inner struggle - she hates to eat (unless of course it is chips or candy you're offering) and she loves to do laundry. I could see the wheels turning as she tried to decide - was helping with her favorite chore worth actually eating the meal placed before her....

And she love, love, loves to cook and bake and create in the kitchen.  It is truly her happy place.

And today - as I was trying to catch up with sewing badges on Audrey and Amy's American Heritage Girl vests - she sat right by my side, truly enjoying watching me and exploring my sewing basket. She was asking all about it and then told me I need to get a sewing basket for her because she needs to start learning to sew so she can be just like me.... awwwwwww!

It almost made up for her atrocious behavior at COSI on Friday(the Columbus Children's Museum)

OY!  The day started well but by the end of our museum visit she was getting tired and when Allison is tired she is a beast!  She was defiant.  She was obstinate.  She was belligerent.  She was not much fun to be around. She did eventually pull it together but it was quite the test of wills there for a while .....

But back to sweet stories ....
As she was watching me sew today she also started asking me if I wanted another baby.  She does this from time to time.  I think she somehow feels jilted that she is not a "big sister" to anyone. I think it really bugs her that there is no one that she can "best" when it comes to developed and/or learned skills.  So I told her, as I always do, that I was happy with the three girls God gave me and I was pretty sure He wasn't going to give me anymore.  She countered with "Maybe if you are really, really good mom, maybe God will give you another baby."  On the outside I smile and say "Really? You think so?" and on the inside I think "I'm good Lord, really I am.  Each daughter you have blessed us with has been more active than the previous one and I'm not so sure I can go up a notch from this last one"

Whatever the day - whatever her behavior - I love this little girl.  I waited and waited and waited for her to arrive in my life and even when her behavior is at its worst - I am so very thankful for her.