Miriam didn’t have a lot going for her at this birthday- she is the third child so she gets a lot of hand-me-downs, we live in a small house so there isn’t much space for new toys, and her birthday is unfortunately close to Christmas.  She got a Scensty Buddy (stuffed pig) to prevent the on-going poopy-diaper odor in her bedroom, a book and a doll stroller. 

We adore Miriam.  She is the perfect combination of fiesty and sweet.  She has the tender heart of a sensitive little girl, but paradoxically the tough spirit of a pioneer woman.  You can easily hurt her feelings but you can do nothing to her independence.  She is curious, determined and fearless; a combination that drives me crazy.  She is the child that I used to attribute to bad parenting when I saw her behaviors exhibited in other children.  Perhaps it is bad parenting- but these kids all come so different and we’ve all heard it said that they don’t come with a manual.  Since she was old enough to crawl (which wasn’t very old) her heart’s deepest desire was to be with her brothers, and it continues to be so.  She hasn’t been interested much in princesses, like many of her peers but that is probably related to the gender dynamic around her.  She has recently been putting on skirts in the mornings, after she gets out of bed and before she leaves her room.  So she’s got her feminine side for sure.