On the eve of 4 years old

Dear Hannah,

On the day before your 4th birthday, I wanted to write a little something about how much joy and wonder you bring into my life.  You are incredibly affectionate, offering hugs and cuddles whenever someone is waking up or coming home.  You are loud and vibrant and excited about life about 75 percent of your waking hours . The remaining 25 percent, you spend quietly playing alone in your room, listening to books on CD, doing puzzles and organizing your jewelry. You love your siblings with a passion, even though Aaron sometimes teases you and Charlotte wrecks your Lego towers. And you are incredibly quick to forgive almost anyone.

I have a few stories from recent weeks that illustrate just how curious and fearless you are.

A visit
On the car ride to school the other day, you requested "The Scientist" by Coldplay. (Your dad's influence for sure.)  I complied, and you listened, singing quietly along. About halfway through the song you stopped.

H: Mama, is Chris Martin real? (He is the lead singer of Coldplay.)
Me: Yes, he is.
H: But where is he?  I can't see him anywhere.
Me: Well, he's in England. He uses a computer to record his voice so that lots of people can hear him sing?
H: (Face clearly lit up.)  Can we see him?!?!  (We're going to England next week to visit Paul's family.)
Me:  Well, I don't know.  There are a lot of people who live in England.
H: Well, we could just knock on his door.
Me: What would you do then, ask him to sing for you?
H: (Blushing and giggles.)

A dinner
Again, a conversation on the way to school.

H: I saw a hawk!
Me: Good try, but that was a sea gull.
H: But are hawks real?
Me: Yes. We see them in our backyard sometimes.  Remember, they have red tails.
H: Can we eat one for dinner?
Me: (Cringing.)  Well, I don't know. I guess we could eat a hawk for dinner, but it wouldn't have very much meat on it.
H: I know!  We'll catch one with a net. We'll need daddy's help. It will have to be a strong net.
Me: Then what will you do with it?
H: We'll smash it with a hammer and then take out its bones.

I love you, my sweet girl. Don't ever stop having big ideas. They will carry you far in life.
All my love,
Mama