Skella Girl

For Alia on her fourth birthday...

From the moment I realized you were in my belly, I knew you were special … and I knew we were in trouble. You are the fifth and youngest, yet you seem to have wisdom beyond your years. You have a way of looking at the world that makes us think, sometimes because your thoughts are so deep, sometimes because you seem to make no sense whatsoever, except maybe to yourself.

Your affinity for skulls started practically from birth and has only gotten scarier from there.  Questions such as “what would happen if I took off all my skin … would I be able to see my bones of would there be stuff in the way – and would my insides fall out?” when you weren’t yet two years old and proclamations such as “Skellas are my friends!” when you were one and “I love everything dead!” at age three have added to our fear of what you may do to the world one day. We just pray you use your powers for good.

You are aptly named and have tried to use The Voice on us on many occasions. You are the little mother and keep track of everyone and what they should be doing. You Oppose the Creation of Disorder and have since you could assert your opinion and/or put things they way they need to be.

As I look back on the past four years, I can’t help but remember the awesomeness your somewhat freakish mind has brought to my life...

Four days before your first birthday…

Alia (upon arriving home from a visit to Gramma and Papa's house: "wheredoe Papa?" (where'd Papa go?)
Mama: Papa is at his house.
Alia: Wheredoe PAPA, Mama?
Mama: Papa is at Papa's house with Gramma.
Alia: *growls* Wheredoe baby emote Papa? (where go baby remote papa?)
Mama: *finds Melissa and Doug dollhouse grandpa* This Papa?
Alia: *shrieks* Baby emote Papa papa papa papa!

Age 14 months

Age 14 months (taken from a post on Mindful Village):
Coren appears on the stairs naked, except for a red sash slung over his shoulder and across his belly and a sword. Alia exclaims, "Where sawd doe?" Coren races up the stairs and down again with a sword for fair Alia, who has wiggled herself off the futon. Coren tosses a sword to Alia, who amazingly kinda sorta catches it and stands, feet apart, sword at the ready. Coren moves in for his attack, exclaiming, "Taste my steel!" and they have at it, Alia holding her own against the fearsome Cap'n Moondragon. "tang ting!" exclaims Alia as they battle. Coren turns to say something to Mama, and Alia, seeing her opportunity, growls at Coren and brings her sword up between his legs. Thus ends the great battle.

18 months...

Me: What happened to your nap?
Alia: It fell off.
Me: It fell off?
Alia: It fell off my face and woke my body up.

2 years...

Mama to Alia: "Go wake up Daddy."
A: "No." M: "Please?" A: "No." M: "Go jump on Daddy." A: "No." M: "Go climb under Daddy's blankets and steal all his warmness." A: *maniacal laughter as she runs to wake up Daddy!*

2.5 years...

Alia: "This ferengi I knew once got so sick he was puking or at least he wanted to. He was completely disgusted with everything."

"I'm a nice fairy!"

Age 3...

Upon leaving the Emergency Room with 2 staples in your head after a fall, I asked why you looked so upset. The two reasons you gave me:

1. You only got 2 staples instead of 3 - and you were THREE and needed THREE staples

2. They didn't take x-rays of your skull and you REALLY wanted a picture of your own skull to take home with you.

The One Hiding Under the Stairs

Age 3.5, with friend Fiora:

Fi: "The vampire sneaked through your front door and goed in the closet and disappeared. If you go in there it could be dangerous."
Alia: "Nah. There are zombies in my closet. They like vampire brains. Why do you think there are so many vampire skeletons in my closet?"

So Happy Birthday, my Alia. And you know what? 

I love you so very much!