Little Skyler

My little Skyler is incredible.  Where Sydney is sparkly, loud, funny, and outgoing; Skyler is kind of quiet, observant, helpful, nurturing, and independent.  She needs lots of affection all the time, but she isn’t going to just jump on you like Sydney will.  I think she thinks that’s a little bit too easy.  Sort of like, “If I ask for it, it’s not as good as if you just do it on your own.”  She doesn’t want any second-rate attention!  In a way, I think she understands things that are kind of heartbreaking for a little two year old to understand.  The waters just run a lot deeper with her.  But, it’s that vulnerability that makes me want to protect her so much more.  I just always want to be hugging her for some reason.

I love that she thinks her stuffed animals are so special.  Yesterday she climbed on the couch to cuddle with her stuffed elephant and monkey and said, “These are my friends!”  Lately her favorite game is to make a baby crib out of her animal basket and curl up in there to where you can’t even hardly see her.

I love that she cooks me a fake dinner every night with her toy pots and pans.  I love that she likes to put away the dishes and put the laundry in the dryer, just because she thinks it makes me happy and she’s being a “big girl”.  I love that she knows exactly what she wants most of the time.  I love that she has certain people she really likes even though it means there are certain people she doesn’t want to be bothered with.  It’s almost like a prize to be one of Skyler’s select few.

Sometimes, she’s naturally counter-productive when it comes to people.  She wants attention, but she won’t ask for it.  Life can go in lots of different directions, but it makes me think that if she’s a confident person when she gets older, she’ll end up with someone really exceptional.  Probably someone like her dad, who naturally gives without being asked.  In fact, I think the way that Ping gives love to his girls (me included) is going to contribute to that confidence she’s going to need.   And that’s a good thing, because sometimes the most fragile things are the most beautiful.  To me, Skyler is like a delicate flower.  You can plant it and forget about it, and it will wither.  It’s easy to kill, just like Skyler’s spirit would be easy to break.  But if you give it good care and attention, you can grow it into something more beautiful than all the rest.