Daycare Application, December 2014

Our first daycare application, December 2014.

Question #3: Is there anything I NEED to know about your child?

Long pause with my scratchie blue sharpie.

First of all, thank you for asking this crucial question and giving me a very tiny space to write my answer. What do you need to know about my child! Well, I present to you my heart, walking around outside of my body in size 6 orange shoes with polka dots and an Elsa dress on. I want you to know that she is different than any other child you will ever encounter. Every night I still stand over her bed and can't even believe that something so perfect exists. Her little strawberry blonde fro fluffs above the pillow and her tiny little rosebud mouth is open and she breathes softly with her little hands curled up by her face. I can't believe she's my daughter. She's so much more than her curly hair or her sunshine smile or her ocean blue eyes.

She eases into the morning with me. I have my coffee and she has her milk. A few minutes later, she could be tempted with the mention of buttery waffles or buttery toast or buttery eggs, the main ingredient of butter being the most important. By lunch, you'd better be moving quickly- she'll eat everything you have to offer and ask for more! She loves to read more than anything. She'll sit and read to herself, and anyone else who's around. She's a singer with the sweetest voice you've ever heard. You'll hear her sing the ABC's and "Pippi Yongstocking" or "Baby Jeeezus". Sometimes she'll bellow the words with everything in her little body; sometimes I hear it from across the house and my eyes fill with tears.

She's a shouter, a dancer, an encourager, a comforter. She's like a baby robin hopping in spring. She's so smart. Her brain grows every day, as fast as her hair! I can't tell you the number of times she's comforted another crying child, or how fast she forgives someone who has hit her, or how fast she figures out how to get what she wants. She also has the best sense of humor ever, so you can start taking yourself less seriously now. Please be careful because one day soon you may find yourself with a small finger painfully lodged in your armpit.

It's also important you know that if a hair touches her hand, she will be completely debilitated (this will be handy if you need her to stay in one spot for awhile). I've found that if the hair is swiftly removed by an adult, life can go on. Note: the hair cannot and will not be removed by her in any situation. Also note: she will eat oranges if you peel them in her presence and remove all strings or any other unusual orange debree, and put them directly into her open mouth. She does not allow her hands to touch oranges.

Be careful with her, because she has quite the future. She's going to be amazing. All thirty-three inches of her has already shaken my world and just about everyone else she's encountered, in only two years. You honestly have no idea what her very existence has done to my life!

This is probably your one hundredth child in the last two months, and you've probably just about had it with all the concerned parents. I want you to know I completely trust you with this girl, and I put her happily in your hands, knowing her Heavenly Dad loves her much more than I.

You're going to help her grow and learn and ultimately, you WILL be the only reason she is potty trained before 3 because honestly I've tried really hard, and it's not working. You're also going to lie to her about the Easter Bunny, but I forgive you for that.

Her favorite food is boogers, and she loves talking about dinosaurs and babies.

Other than that... No, there's nothing you need to know!

The above two were taken by Christy Kohl

(Courtesy of Creative Image)