Crickie turns five years old today.
She’s the one we like to call “the wild mustang.”
She never walks anywhere, only RUNS, and most times she follows Kemper around like a little shadow. If she gets put to bed before Kemper, she’ll usually stay awake until her closest older sister comes to bed and demand Kempies tuck her in. It’s really adorable.
Crickie is one of our children that has the “Bliss Factor.” She’s a strong-willed, yet sensitive child who will give her opinion on the spot and usually her first assumption about people is right on. She’s a flirt and a half but she only likes blondes over 6’5″ so her field is pretty narrow. One young man who was smitten with one of my older girls found himself wrapped around Crickie’s little finger…and when we recently had dinner with a very handsome NFL player who happened to have dark hair, Crickie was disappointed. “Yeah, but where’s Cody Parkey?” was all she could muster while her older brothers were all hyperventilating and fan-girling over the guest of honor.
Not Crix. She just wanted the blond.
Hilarious.
[bctt tweet=”Having a strong will is a gift. Having a strong will as a girl is a golden gift.”]
But one of the greatest things a girl like Crickie can teach you is that having a strong will is a gift. Having a strong will as a girl is a golden gift. Yes, moms, I know…it’s a real challenge when they are small and bent on getting that Barbie or bent on testing your limits, but as they mature, that strong-will trained up in the right direction is a thing of beauty. I wrote about it extensively in Crickie’s chapter of my book, titled, “The Gift Of A Strong Willed Girl.” If you have a child with an iron will and especially if said child is a girl, you must read my book and get a perspective that can save your sanity…and maybe even your relationship with that child as a teenager and young adult.
So Happy Birthday to my wild little mustang! May the wind always be at your back and may you ever grow in courage and strength! You’re a blessing and a joy to our entire family!
Michelle Hays says
There are so many days your posts hit home with me but today this one particularly makes my heart sing. My Alaina has this golden gift and it takes another special mom to understand that it is just that – a very special gift. It also takes a special person to understand that under the tough shell these girls have is that almost sepernatural sensitivity. While my older daughter is outwardly the more empathetic of my two and more sweet natured, it is this child who sits in a darkened movie theater and sheds silent tears when it looks like Peter Pan can’t save Hook and when Bing Bong sacrifices himself for Riley’s happy memories in Inside Out. The saying about still waters running deep truly makes sense with her. And, yes she’s stubborn and difficult. But, I never worry about what the world will do to her. She will rock the world someday. Thank you again for the reminder that we are never alone and that sometimes our greatest challenges are our greatest blessings.
Michelle Hays says
I forgot to say that it was also this child who, as her grandma lay in the final stages of terminal cancer and under at home hospice care, at the age of 6 had the strength and compassion to visit her everyday, hold her hand and scold the nurses if her memaw cried out when they were changing the sheets. It’s easy to forget sometimes they need us so make sure on her special day she gets lots of extra love and attention!!
Lyette Reback says
She will absolutely rock the world one day! Absolutely!