Two for the Road

July, 2012

Dear Lila,

Happy 2^nd Birthday to you our little toddler! You have grown into such a bundle of energy and personality.  I just read the letter your Dad and I wrote to you before you were born, it is nearly impossible to imagine life before you.  You are quite simply a miracle to us and every day provides a new window into your developing self.  The canvas of Lila is filling in with brushstrokes of vivaciousness, curiosity, compassion, and humor.  You have such an impact on everyone you meet- you are our little social butterfly- flitting from place to place and leaving your impression.

We promised to take you places and expose you to as much as possible- you are earning your wings with plane rides to Chicago and Virginia to visit our family and an upcoming trip to Michigan this fall.  You have made it to nine US states, gone swimming in the Atlantic with your cousins and built sandcastles along its seashore.  You have an insatiable appetite for food and adventure- always asking for more.  Our journey has only just begun.

Our daily routine, while constantly evolving, anchors us and you have excelled in your school, learning to count to ten in English and Spanish and developing an explosive vocabulary. The days of keeping track of your “new words” are no more.  Your associations and memory often leave us awe-struck.  As your great-grandfather Finney would have proclaimed, your brain is a sponge.  While we miss you every day when we go our separate ways your growing independence reaffirms our decision to enroll you at Palisades.  We left you for the first night earlier this summer for a weekend with Grandma Cathy and you didn’t miss a beat.  We can take you most any place and you rarely shy away from new faces and places.  Whether it is neighbors, the waiter at the sushi restaurant, or parents at school everyone seems to remember you with affection.

We enrolled you at the Little Gym last year and you will return this fall- while we go just one day a week- you so enjoy tumbling and flipping. You hang from the uneven bars, have mastered the forward roll and run across the balance beam.  It will be such a thrill to see what new skills await this year in your beginning dance session.  Our impromptu dance parties at home have certainly added some interesting moves to your repertoire.

We have so much to look forward to, you bring joyfulness to our hearts and coming home to you is the best part of our day.  Your smile could light the night sky and your kisses and hugs, of which there is never a shortage, are magical.  With your blond hair, blue eyes and those playground scrapes and bruises, you are our diminutive but spirited adventurer always running and climbing.  The world in indeed your oyster- keep diving deep little girl!

We love you to the moon and back.

Your Mom and Dad