I have incredible children.

A few weeks ago, a friend watched my 3 year old WonderGirl emote all over the library like a contestant on American Idol and my 7 month old Dude enchant every female within 10 feet by giggling and cooing like the Gerber baby, and turned to me and said “Reva, your kids are… HUGE.”

I knew exactly what she meant without her clarifying, but she went on “I don’t think I’ve ever met kids with such … big personalities.  They just seem to fill a room - both of them.”

I often joke that since I don’t really like children, God had to give me only the best to assure I’d bond with them, but it’s not a joke.  I know it’s true.  

I’ve been thinking about WonderGirl today, how she came into this world already an old soul, determined to take the earth by storm but then was horrified at this helpless body that did not respond or communicate exactly as she wanted.  She was such a frustrated baby, unlike my perma-joy Dude.  She wanted to dance, learn, sing, be 18, but she hadn’t realized she had to do this pathetic baby thing first.  Eat?  Why would she eat when there were people to talk to - darn it, why couldn’t they understand what she was saying?  Sleep?  Why on earth would she want to sleep - there was so much else to do!

Far too often in that first year we would lay there on the floor next to each other, both of us crying like our hearts had been broken.  The transition to our new lives was hard on both of us - some days it felt like she was my only friend.  

She has not done anything small.  Every word, every stage has been A Big Deal.  She loves big, she suffers big and then she sleeps big.  Everything amazes me - this once ball of baby has sprouted these legs, these arms that aspire to move and never stop.  This girl that will climb on top of me while I’m trying to sleep and demand I tell her what animals migrate.

Other kids her age he meet are so much quieter, move much slower, and every now and then I think how much easier this mom thing would have been had I gotten one of those souls, but God knew I needed this spirit.  I have a nickname for her that just came out of my mouth the first time I held her - Sunshine.  I can’t help it, I have to call her Sunshine, because it’s exactly what she is.  She brings warmth to everyone within eyesight (and earshot) and if there is something clouding her light, everyone feels it.  She makes sure of it.

And here we are, both out of our element again in the Midwest.  Every now and then we both get so frustrated and lonely we lay on the floor and cry.  But then we get up again, and she stands on the table and sings the entire theme song of Dinosaur Train.  

This town is not big enough for this kid…