Tut-tut, it looks like rain

When Kate was a newborn, she was given the gift of a stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh by our dear friend Margaret (and Katie's namesake). It's a classic Pooh, with light colored fur and a soft pink tee. He is beloved and worn, now with rubbed dirty fur (despite weekly washing) and torn tee. He has purple nail polish on his paws from an impromptu day of beauty. He is Kate's constant friend and monster repellent.

It's mid morning on Monday. Noah is asleep, most likely dreaming of goldfish and milk. Jack slept over at my mom's house and is probably eating his weight in chocolate cereal right now. I told Katie to get Winnie the Pooh and we snuggled up on the chair and read. She is learning to read and sounded out some words and asked me to use my finger as I read so she could follow. We read and let the words wash around us, this magical world of a bear and his boy.

My little girl is getting older, as little girls are wont to do. We let her get her ears pierced last week after years of her asking and cajoling. She chose sparkly pink butterflies and is very serious about turning them and cleaning them. When we go to the store she is usually in a tutu and carrying a purse, her strides confident and happy because she feels cute. I see glimpses of her as a teen sometimes as her lovely face thins and changes with age. She will be a wonderful person, I know.

This morning, though, she is little. Her body melts into mine as we imagine Pooh on his adventures. We laugh at his ill-fated rain cloud escapade - will he ever outsmart the bees?

                Hand in hand we come
                  Christopher Robin and I
                To lay this book in your lap.
                       Say you're surprised?
                       Say you like it?
                       Say it's just what you wanted?
                              Because it's yours-
                              Because we love you.


                                              -from The World of Pooh, A.A. Milne