In Time Warp

Living with Livi can be a little strange for me.
Strange in the best, most joyful way possible.
But sometimes when she is twirling around the room in her puffy slip and princess heels, talking about marrying her prince, and making sure I am enjoying and watching every single move she makes -- it's like being in a time warp. It's like watching my own happy childhood, like I know exactly what she's thinking at that moment, how beautiful she is feeling. It makes me so happy. Because I had a ridiculously happy childhood. And if that is how hers is starting out -- I can think of nothing that would give me more joy.
We got a bag of cute hand-me-downs from the magnificent Kendal the other day ("I love Kendal! Kendal is my friend! She wants to play at my house! She loves me! She wants me to be pretty!") and ever since it's been a change-ten-times-a-day fashion show, with a particular emphasis on swimming suits and skirts. And twirling. Lots and lots of twirling.
Last night I was sitting on the couch, half reading and half enjoying the show. Liv would run out, run back in, run out, run back in (twirling on every entrance). She had on a purple princess swim suit and her puffy slip, and was proudly sporting her blue Cinderella high heels. She was talking to her prince: "Do you love me? Mama, my handsome prince wants to marry me in the temple! Oh, yes? You want to dance with me? Okay!" More twirls. Then she stops, arms out in a beautiful flutter position. She walks to the wall and... kisses it. And then skips out of the room.
It warmed my little pea-pickin' heart. It reminded me of how I just couldn't wait for my own romance growing up -- and longed for it even as a very little girl. How I would sometimes kiss the wall in anticipation of true loves first kiss. And then I thought of the Double B. And my heart said
"It was worth the wait."