The Marenest Mae

Maren.  There is so much to say about this girl.  She is funny and snugly and a lover of all things pink and purple.  She loves to dance and wants to be a princess when she grows up.  But she is also tough and can rarely be found without a series of scrapes and bruises up and down her legs as evidence of her belief that she is just as big as her brother. 

She loves making people laugh.  Whether it's making silly faces or telling crazy stories to elicit a smile from someone, she keeps me on my toes with her humor.  She's also incredibly smart and nothing gets past this kid.  She will often correct me, or my new favorite, tell me things I already knew in a confident, convicting tone.  Such as: "Mom, did you know that ketchup is made out of tomatoes?".  Like I had never known that until my two year old decided to enlighten me with that information.

So after Warner started riding his bike without training wheels, Maren was set on riding a "big kid bike".  Up until then she had been riding a tricycle, and it was time for a new set of wheels.  So, off to Montgomery Cyclery we went for an early birthday present from my parents.  Her new ride is purple (of course) complete with bell and streamers that we added because really, what is a bike without a bell and streamers? 

And this girl can ride.  We intentionally bought a bike that was a bit big so she can keep it for a while.  But the size doesn't slow her down.  She pedals and turns and rings that bell like it's nobody's business.  The funniest part is one of her new sayings.  I've got to get it on video because it's not necessarily the words - "oh yeah" - it's the way she says them.  So until I post the video, just picture Maren riding up and down the sidewalk, ringing her bell, singing "oh yeah" all the way.  Fractures me.

Maren also wears me out.  And that's an understatement.  I constantly liken her to the children's book character Olivia.  At the end of one Olivia book, Olivia's mom says: "Olivia, you really wear me out.  But I love you anyway".  And Olivia replies: "I love you anyway too".  That pretty much sums it up.

She has so much energy.  And so much love.  And so much spunk.  She is so much stinking fun I can hardly stand it.  When Maren is in true Maren form, Kevin and I often shoot each other a look that says "can you believe this is our child?  She is nothing like either one of us".  And it's true.  Maren couldn't be more different than our type-A, firstborn personalities.  I guess that's what makes life so fun.  And so interesting.  I can't wait to see Maren continue to grow into the person God made her to be.