My little helper

My lovely little Echo,

I love having conversations with you.

Mommy: "Echo, my phone broke."
Echo: "Your phone broke?"

Mommy: " Yes. I was running to my car to pick you up from school. I didn't want to be late, so I was running real fast. Suddenly, my phone jumped out of my bag and CRASH! It fell on the ground. The little cat decoration flew across the street. I picked up my phone. It was cracked open. I snapped it together - snap. I looked, the screen was broken. I can't fix the screen.

At this point of the story, your face changed to pain, sadness, and desperation. I worried that you'd cry... "I will take it to a store tomorrow and they will fix it for you!" I said excitedly.

You brought your little fists to your cheeks, with a wide smile, and eyes bright open, "they will fix it for me?" you said with happiness.

"Yes, they will fix it for you!"

"Tell it again! Tell it again!"

We went through this exact dialogue for days in our commute to school and back. If you wanted to initiate the conversation at another time, such as during dinner, you'd ask "your phone broke?"

You are a very helpful little girl. When I come home with grocery bags, or am in the kitchen preparing meals, you come to me and say "I will help you." You help m put groceries away, set the table, wash produce, prepare salad... You always clean up after yourself when you are done playing. You even clean up after Zoe.

You are also well mannered, except when you declare that you farted or tell me "clean my butt!" If I'm having a meal or doing work, and you need me, you come and ask "are you all done?" If I say yes, you hold my hand, saying "come, I want to show you something" and lead me away.

I went to Italy for a weekend, for your uncle's wedding. The day I came back, you started calling Zoe with her name, rather than "Ayi." You say it so perfectly: Zowi.

I love you my little bundle of fire cracker.

Mommy.