I Love You More

I have just tucked my little girl in bed and I am feeling all warm and fuzzy. We've been playing our favourite game, "I Love you More Than..."
I can't remember how or when we started playing this little game; we kind of fell into it and now it's a special favourite thing for just me and her. It goes kind of like this:

Her: I love you more than trees...
Me: I love you more than birds...
Her: I love you more than... rainbows!
Me: I love you more than ... clouds!

And so it goes on and on and on. Basically I love her more than just about anything in the whole wide world. Even though at times she is the one person who can wind me up better than anyone. Even though when she "goes off" it's like an air-raid siren right next to my ear.

She is also the sweetest, most affectionate, generous and caring little girl.

Last Friday night she had her first sleepover at a friend's house while Dash had his sleepover birthday party. I was getting ready for the party and kept coming across little things that reminded me of her... Scrag had trashed his bedroom (one more thing for me to do); she heard me lamenting the mess and had tidied the worst of it away before school. I found it after she'd left and got a lump in my throat. That evening I walked into Miss Fab's bedroom (her bed perfectly made by her) and spotted Birthday Doll.

Her bed-time snuggle-buddy. To get to sleep our little Miss Fab sucks her thumb, and sniffs and twirls Birthday Doll's hair. As you can see the poor dolly doesn't have much left. But in the eyes of that little girl, Birthday Doll is precious and gorgeous. And left behind.

I rang my friend whose house she was staying at and she told me that Miss Fab had actually fallen off to sleep without Birthday Doll (!!) But we agreed that she may wake in the night and look for her, so I left the boys in Daddy's capable hands and drove over to take Birthday Doll back to her mummy.

I sneaked into the bedroom and there was my little girl, fast asleep and looking so sweet. I kissed her soft little cheek and tucked her dolly in beside her.

I love you more than chocolate...
I love you more than monkey bars...
I love you more than computers...
I love you more than Birthday Doll...

The next morning she was the one who helped me sweep up and pull weeds to get the patio ready for my birthday party. We chatted and worked together and my heart felt full. She's only five, but she called out to her big brother (who was jumping oblivious on the trampoline): "You should come and help because mummy makes nice parties for us so we should help her when it's her turn!"

I love you more than flowers...
I love you more than bees...
I love you more than crocodiles...
I love you more than kittens...

My daughter is the one who gives me the biggest, toughest run for my money. She's the one who has turned me and Mr G slightly "platinum" (seriously, I have photographic evidence: before her birth=no grey hair!)
But her strength, her determination, her spunk, her enthusiasm and energy - something tells me she's the one who will put her hand up to look after her elderly parents in their dotage.

As Ian Grant says, "Those kids who had you tearing your hair out when they were little, they're the ones who'll argue on your behalf for the sunny room in the Retirement Home!" Yep, my girl is one of those.

I love you more than the sun...
I love you more than the moon...
I love you more than the stars...
I love you more than the sky...

I do. I really really do.