Last week was Lucy’s 5th birthday. I don’t know if it’s because there is a new baby in our house, or what, but it seems like Lucy has matured tremendously over the last year. She has really made the leap from toddler to “big girl.” (Which is a scary thought to the me and the Tool Man.)
As I did with Ty, I had Lucy complete a birthday interview this year. I’ll share some of her responses with you later, but first I wanted to share some of my own thoughts about Lucy.
If I had to sum up Lucy’s personality in a few words, I’d put it like this: she’s stubborn, dramatic, independent, fearless, spirited, and a little bit shy.
Lucy’s is one the most strong willed people I’ve ever seen. I’ve mentioned before that sometimes she absolutely refuses to speak. It beats all I’ve ever seen. When she makes up her mind she doesn’t want to talk, there’s nothing you can do to make her say one word. She’s the same way about eating too. I’ve actually had to hold her nose to get her to open her mouth to eat.
I remember one episode when Lucy was about 2, when she and I had a battle of the wills. Lucy had spilled a bowl of dry Cheerios, and I asked her to pick them up. She refused. She looked me square in the eye and refused to pick up one Cheerio. I coaxed, demonstrated, bribed, etc., but Lucy didn’t give in. She had decided she wasn’t going to touch one Cheerio. Little did she know, I had decided that she was.
It wasn’t pretty, but I finally figured out a way to get her to pick up the cereal. Her hand in mine, I had to move her fingers to each Cheerio and make her pick them up. I never will forget that day! It was the day I realized just how hard-headed that little girl could be.
Perhaps stemming from the fact that she’s so stubborn is Lucy’s fearless spirit. She doesn’t let a little danger stop her from doing what she wants. I knew the Tool Man and I had a daredevil on our hands when Lucy started climbing before she even learned to walk. She climbed on the couch. She climbed up stools. She climbed on tables. She climbed out of her crib. And what did she do once she made it to the top? Why, she jumped down, of course!
All that climbing culminated in the ultimate climbing challenge earlier this summer. Our entire family went to church camp with our children’s group this year. At the camp was a 55 feet tall zip line. 55 feet! The only way to the top was by way of a light pole. My 4 year old sweetie shimmied all the way to the top of that pole, while 8, 9, and 10 year olds clung to the pole, weeping in fear, just 10 feet off the ground! I’m telling you, that girl is a monkey. (I do have tons of photos documenting this feat, but they are all on another computer. Hopefully I’ll get a copy of them one day to share with y’all.)
Lucy is one of the most animated people you’ll ever be around. That is, if she’s not in a shy mood. Sometimes she hides behind the Tool Man and me, with her head tucked down, not making eye contact with anyone. (Like yesterday when I took her for a hearing test, and she wouldn’t look up or say a word. I was afraid the doctor was going to dub her deaf and mute.)
But other times….
Other times she comes alive!
Her facial expressions are priceless. She has hilarious faces for every emotion: anger, shock, surprise, dejection, excitement, worry…even sadness. Couple those faces with over exaggerated body language (eg. hands on hips, head tilts, finger pointing, eye rolling) and Lucy can put on quite a show.
Throw pain into the mix and Lucy becomes the biggest drama queen on the planet. She feels two levels of pain. None and Nearly Dead. She’s either completely pain free or she’s about to lose a limb, and she wants everyone to know it. Even so, in Lucy’s eyes there’s no injury so severe that a Disney princess Band-Aid can’t fix it.
Lucy also loves dramatic play, and she’s not one to play alone either. She’ll worry you to death with complicated, make-believe games about babies, sisters & princesses, cooking & baking, or grocery store. The conversations she has with herself while playing are a hoot, but funnier still are the songs that she makes up. She sings incessantly!
Take a look at this video I shot of her last week. I believe the lyrics for this song include, “We work, we work, we work. I’m trying, I’m trying, I’m trying!”
Lucy especially likes to make up songs while riding in the car, which drives her big brother (and parents) stir crazy.
She’s good at that – driving her big brother crazy. Lucy and Ty fight like cats and dogs. Not physical fighting, but arguing and fussing. Lucy certainly receives her fair share of grief and torment from her brother, but she knows how to dish it out too. Don’t let her sweet, angelic appearance fool you. Lucy is an expert in aggravating. She’s a master skilled in the arts of blame throwing, injury feigning, whining, and all around pestering. I guess that’s just the way siblings are, though. Especially those who spend every waking minute of every day together.
Being a little sister is a tough job, but being a big sister? Now that’s something Lucy can sink her teeth into. She was born to be a mama. Lucy loves all aspects of caring for Tacy. She loves feeding her, burping her, bathing her, and yes, even changing her diapers and powdering that cute little behind. Lucy enjoys picking out Tacy’s clothes and coordinating her hair bows and shoes to match. Lucy even likes folding and putting away Tacy’s laundry. (A task she can do just as well as I can.)
I could go on all day talking about Miss Lucy. How she loves to wear makeup, choose her own outfits, bake cupcakes, do school work, and hug frogs. (Yes, Lucy likes to cuddle real, live toad frogs.) But, alas, motherly duties await. I’ll be sure to share excerpts from Lucy’s birthday interview soon.
Happy birthday, Lucy! You are truly one of the most interesting people I know.
Lindsey
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