Sunday, November 22, 2009

Happy Birthday, Teddy Bear~!



My Teddy Bear turned 20~! 

I wish I had all my early photos on my computer so you could see what I remember so well. She has always been a tiny little thing. Not in a great hurry to talk...her big sister the Hot Tamale was the vocal virtuoso. Teddy was my wild woman. 

Her hair was always wild and unbrushed....red hair that flew in all directions with a constantly smudged face. She could climb so well that I regularly learned to look UP to find her. At soccer practices, if I lost track of her for a minute, she would toddle off to the nearest fence to climb it. I would look over and there would be Teddy, 18-months-old, scaling the fence...a six-foot chain link fence. I have no idea how many times I would catch her at the top just in time before she launched herself over the fence. I am sure that mommy adrenalin aged me significantly. 






She was in such a hurry to be born...four hours from first contraction to delivery. Scared the heck out of me it went so fast. I remember the day she was born we did not have a name yet. Nada. Nothing. Zilch. We NEVER agreed on a boy's name and a girl's name we kept going back and forth on. I had my first contraction and was wondering if I should say something or wait until I knew for sure when my ex came running into the room to tell me he finally figured out a name~! So my daughter is named after the goalie for the Los Angeles Kings. Yep. A hockey player. I think maybe we jinxed ourselves into a tomboy. 

She is the kid that if you told her no, it meant hurry up and do it faster before I stopped her. She is the animal lover. She rode horses for years. The first horse she rode was Kramer, about 16 to 17 hands. Huge, huge horse and she was so small and so happy to be there that I'm not sure it dawned on her to be afraid. Even when he took off galloping and she held on the whole way. Thank heavens for carrots. 


She is such a precious part of my life. Quick witted. Funny. And beneath all the bluster and cynicism of youth, she is warm and generous. She loves to sit with the "adults" and gab with us. She tells me so much of what is going on in her life and I will be forever grateful for that. 

She thinks she is old but I know it is just the beginning. I am looking forward to watching the journey.


Happy Birthday, Teddy Bear~!  



post signature

19 comments:

KCSherri said...

What a great post! I hope she reads this and knows how special she is, and what a great Mom you are!

Sherri

Sultan said...

Nice post. Good wishes to her.

Sandra Wilkes said...

Precious! So fun to remember and watch them grow! She must read this. She will love it! Hope you two will be close and talk together forever and ever.

ethelmaepotter! said...

And beautiful, too!

mommakin said...

She is just lovely! Happy birthday to her!

adrienzgirl said...

Ah...proud Momma! Happy day to yr!ou, and he

adrienzgirl said...

crap. to you and her!

Dual Mom said...

Happy Birthday! It's wonderful to watch the people they become, isn't it?

The Peach Tart said...

She's a beauty. Happy Birthday Teddy Bear!

Aunt Juicebox said...

Oh to be 20 again. Happy Birthday, Teddy Bear.

Casey said...

Awww... and I feel awful for forgetting it! Please forgive me "Teddy Bear", you know I love you and always enjoy having you around! Love you mucho much XOXO, your horrible "second" mom!

Phoenix said...

Such an awesome story for such an awesome daughter :) and naming a daughter after a hockey player means you are kick ass in my book - and so is your girl!

Anonymous said...

Tell her I said happy birthday! She's one of my favorite people!

Harlem's A Hatin said...

This is such a beautiful post, it brought tears to this haters eyes.

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

I can't tell you how happy you all made me with your wishes for Teddy Bear~! She laughed when I told her that I wrote a post for her birthday but then she smiled so happily....kids get a kick out of the little things in life, don't they~! Again, thank you, thank you.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

What a beauty she is! I want to with you a wonderful Thanksgiving with fam and friends.

God bless ya'll!!!

@eloh said...

Good memories. A beautiful child.

Lisa@saltandlightstudio said...

18 months old and scaling a 6 foot chain link fence you say? Sounds like a girl after my own heart! And she's gorgeous too! You tell that Teddy of yours that if she ever wants to do a little climbing, chatting or lounging around looking beautiful, I'm her girl.

BlogBaby

namaste said...

your teddy bear is beautiful. happy belated birthday to your girl!

such a sweet tribute post.

:-)