Monday, August 15, 2011

perla de gran precio


when pearl was born four years ago, i thought, "ok! here is a little girl who is going to be just like me! i can do this!" because, not to brag, but i was the perfect child. other children might be beautiful or brilliant or really fun, but i was just plain good. my mother will corroborate this. i was painfully shy and the thought of doing something wrong or getting yelled at pained me. i tried my darndest not to do anything wrong. maybe this is why i'm a little screwed up today. but this is not about me, this is about pearl. pearl is the polar opposite of me.

when pearl gets mad at me, she screams, "i'm not going to be your daughter anymore!" when people pay her attention, she writhes and wriggles and floats around to get even more attention. and then in minutes she will be sitting in their lap, perhaps stroking their cheeks. perfect stranger? it mattereth not. pearl cannot pass a dandelion without picking it for me. except when she's mad at me and screams, "i'm not picking you flowers anymore!" pearl loves to talk. she  maintains her brooklyn accent and can't say Rs. she has the most beautiful golden ringlets which she is dying to cut. her skin is impossibly soft and still smells baby sweet. pearl will not pass up the opportunity to tell you she tooted. she is smart as a whip and learning how to read. she gives the best hugs in the world. when she was two-ish, she used to freak us out by looking us in the eye and saying things like, "mom, look, i'm reading books with your husband." it was very sinister. pearl is really into animals and loving the life out of them. she reminds me often that we are "sisters." she adores her brother even though he sometimes won't give her the time of day. in short, pearl is perfect.

18 comments:

amyegodfrey said...

Oh, my. That was funny! I don't know how you captured the essence of Pearl so well. I am fascinated by her and love to hear whatever unexpected thing comes out of her mouth. She truly is perfect. As were you.

kate said...

Funny, I was the same way as a kid. Fear of getting in trouble, kept me straight on the line.

I adore Pearl! I'm so glad she warmed up to us! Oh, and those curls... what a beauty!

Vagabond Mother said...

Pearl is/was hysterical and beautiful. Loved the times I had with her, even though I could tell she was a handful for you.

cara said...

i love pearl. i would have kidnapped her if i didn't have a conscience. or wasn't already on foodstamps.

Veronica said...

I love Pearl so much and I don't even know her.

remi said...

this is so sweet abby.

I couldn't decide whether to laugh or be creeped out by pearl's sinister comment. so I just laughed knowing that someday smith will do the same thing and I'll remember I'm not alone.

sarah marie. said...

i loved reading this. she is darling and looks just like you!

Sarah said...

we love that pearl! i cannot stop smiling about her "reading books with your husband" comment. where does she get this stuff?

angela hardison said...

everything about this post is pretty much amazing: pearl, the photos, the writing, her personality.

Wendy said...

our pearly girl is a beautiful spitfire! ;-)

Bethany said...

Oh, my-- what a sweet post! I can't wait to meet her! You really were the perfect child. My mother, too, can corroborate this. She remembers babysitting you, and she says that you literally just sat there. In the same spot. The whole time. :)

robin said...

amazing. what a perfect post.

i wish we were neighbors...

kate said...

Freaking Abby and your cute kids. You make my ovaries hurt (that was weird.................... but you know what I mean)

I like Pearl.

sweetlissybug said...

Ah, we all need a little spitfire in our lives, don't we? Love that little smile. She's growing up way too fast. :D

Tiffany said...

you really do have a way of expressing things perfectly! what a lucky Mommy you are! :)

rubi said...

happy birthday! i love the name of this post. she seems adorable and that is just the most perfect photo booth picture i've ever seen.

Michele said...

I love the way you write. She is going to love that you write things like this down when she is older - and so are her kids. My kids can't get over how "naughty" their dad was as a little boy. I think Pearl would fit right in with my kids. I'm a little jealous of her curls.

MaryPosa said...

She sounds like a simply charming little thing. is 300 miles to far to travel for a play date? Because I'm just positive Pearl and my Elliot would be the best of friends. :)