dear stella // our little helper

dear stella,

i cannot get over this picture of you.  here you stand in the corner of your room in the apron your nana and papa brought you from italy.  you love playing all sorts of dress up these days, and this apron has been no exception.  actually, you look like a naked chef right about now, but i assure you there is a mickey mouse diaper on under there.

i adore this stage, my sweet little girl.  you are twenty months and eager to help mama whenever possible.  whether it is opening the laundry door, mixing pretend dinner ingredients with your wooden spoon, or closing the bottom cupboards in the kitchen, you love feeling included.  it warms my heart to see your proud little face light up with confidence after having lent a helping hand, which as of late, is all the time.  just this morning you brought your dada his brush and said, "dada!  dada!" as you placed it in his hand.  and for the record, how you know what brushes belong to your dada and which ones to me i'll never know.  you soak it all in, little one, and by all i mean gender specific brushes.  like, whoa. 

and believe it or not, you are at the perfect height for many of your preferred tasks, too!  i am used to those tiny fingers flushing the toilet about five times around bedtime, and for our piles of folded laundry to be "patted down" a bit vigorously.  such a good helper you are.  

i know that with each letter i write i gush about all you can do and how wonderful this stage of your life is, but i can honestly say that as you grow, it just keeps on getting better.

love, your mama

{ps. i am over here today on a valentine gift guide with some other fabulous gals.  if you haven't visited mon tarte, you need to.  you will love it.}