the best in the biggest

hadley doesn't sleep well. translation... we don't sleep well. and sadly in my case a tired mommy usually ends up a crabby mommy. i don't like that i end up that way when i wake up for the day at 6:30 am after only the longest stretch of my sleep being 2 hours. it is tough. i know i signed up for the job when becoming a mommy, a job which i love more than anything in the world. that doesn't change the fact that i am human and require sleep to be my usual happy self. so when i don't get it, i tend to be cranky and in need of a little time in the mornings to get going.

the reason i tell you about me playing the role of the crabby mom sometimes is not to brag. i tell you because when i am at my worst there is aways someone in the house that seems to be at her best.

l.b. (did you guys even know that is caroline's main nickname)

sweet cheeks.

caroline.

she is so amazing. not just saying it because i am her mom. i think a lot of people will attest to this statement. i really don't give this young lady enough credit. my gosh she is such a mature, smart, responsible 7 year old. i am amazed with her daily. i really am. (i don't know i am not bawling as i type about this little hero in my life)

so picture me tired and struggling to change hadley's first diaper in the morning. as her usual self when it comes to diaper time, hadley is struggling, squirming, and crying. it isn't pretty. tears are being shed and not just from the baby. it is a bit disastrous in those few seconds. then the great one steps in. caroline holds up a toy over hadley and begins to either sing or dance or act a bit silly, all with the purpose of distracting her sister and allowing me to get my job done.

(feel free to visualize caroline with a big "c" on her chest and a cape blowing about behind her. that is pretty much what i see too.)

now picture our house at 7 a.m. on a school day. the husband happens to be out of town for work. all the crazy rushing around still has to happen. caroline has already eaten breakfast and gotten herself ready for school. she has gotten so good at doing her own ponytails. i am still sporting morning breath and mismatched pj's. caroline lovingly pushes hadley in car for a good 15 minutes around my bedroom while i get myself ready. i didn't ask her to.

i really don't give caroline enough credit. she is such a patient person. she gets the brunt of my crankiness and in return, still helps me out daily with a smile on her face. i seriously don't think i would survive the day without her. how lucky am i, right. never mind that though. how lucky is hadley! she has the best big sister in the world (sorry, don't take is personally melis). the thing that really amazes me about caroline is how all of this is just the true nature of her personality. she is just genuinely a generous and thoughtful girl. we did something so right here.

this is my small way of saying thank you to caroline today. a true mommy's helper.

now i have to go do something really sweet for caroline because words on a blog don't mean much to 7 year old.