Now technically she isn't a permanent addition but we love her just the same. Little Annie was on loan to us beginning in January. And what a wonderful holiday gift she was. She was laughter, determination, curiosity, love and joy.
Cassi had the most wonderful teacher that a student or parent could ask for last year. And not only a fabulous teacher, Marianne also became our friend. When it came time for her maternity leave to end and she needed someone to occasionally care for Anner-Bananers, as she is affectionately called here, we raised our hands (Actually we jumped up and down screaming!) and such my girls became sisters x 4!
When the girls learned that we would have the opportunity to keep her after school let out for the first days of summer, they were beyond excited! Especially Cali Bay. She fed her, learned to change her, played with her and loved her! Oh gosh, did she LOVE her!
With Marianne being a teacher and having summers off, we knew we'd be handing Pippa-Loo (another call of affection) off sooner rather than later and we'd see her daily no more. Now those of us with a little more of life's wisdom knew that we'd be seeing her still, just not on a schedule. Those of us with a little less of life's wisdom had a harder time bearing the thought of the lack of scheduled visitation.
On the last day of our normal schedule we were a bit off, even the wisest of us all I must admit. We played until the last moments, took lots of pictures, and gave kisses with reckless abandon.
That night, bless my baby's heart, she could stand it no more and came to me, sobbing, broken-hearted and sure the love of her little life was gone forever! Being prone to drawing her feelings, she came to me with this note.
She asked me if I would take a picture of her to send to Miss Annie, which I promptly did, but only because I wanted to some day remind her that even so little, the heart is an amazing vessel that can grow beyond any depths imaginable.
After I clicked one I reminded her that it might make Annie a little sad to see such tears to which she offered to take another photo,with a smile. She worked hard for this smile, a labor of love for the very being that stretched her heart to the seams.
Just today I learned that we'll have our little borrowed sister back again for scheduled visits, starting next week. Love abounds again. <3
