My Girl Courtney

If I could see, not only WHAT you behold in your extraordinary baby blues, but also HOW you perceive your world. As I watched you I noticed everything you looked at, everything I had already seen many times before and probably without any particular impression of the dogs, wildflowers, weeds, and dirt mounds in the backyard. Without fear you beckoned Jesse by poking your sweet little face into the fence that surrounded his doghouse. You finally gave up on his stubborn refusal to play and you turned your attention toward Mikey and friends in the backyard of the other neighbors. As you were walking in that direction you graciously turned and said, "bye bye" in the same cajoling tone that we use on you except that your display of affection was astounding in it's evidence of intellect and creativity. Your trusting hand reached into the fence to pet Mikey but MY distrusting hands pulled you back, much to your disliking, but as I directed your attention toward picking a flower for Nana Lib and Papa Danny your interest became fixed on the tall weeds that had lost their cotton heads. I found a little periwinkle and gave it to you. You twirled it between your precious little fingers and ran to give it to Papa. When we went to get one for Nana I found some of those weeds witrh their perfectly shaped heads intact and I showed you how to blow them away. When you tried they stuck to your lips which you had pursed tightly. You looked like you were going to laugh as you cut your famous eyes at me. When you figured out how to do this trick the downy tops disintegrated into your face, hair, and mouth - then you did laugh and you continued to giggle as I helped you hop from one patch of grass to the other.