Reagan’s list of heroes has grown exponentially over the past year. Until last Fall, her list was pretty short, and it was pretty easy to understand. Her biggest sister, Emma, was on top of that list, followed closely by Emma’s best friend, Natalie, Reagan’s brother, Zack, and her Papa (my dad) who likes to explore nature with her.
Over the course of the volleyball and basketball seasons, Reagan has spent a lot of time sitting with Emma’s boyfriend, Jordan, and his friends. She has gotten to know them and they have gotten to know her. I always worry that she is going to be annoying to them, they’re going to think I don’t keep track of her, and I just let her run wild. However, every time I check, they always say she is just fine and isn’t bothering them at all. They are all so very nice to her, they play leggos with her when she takes them to games, they talk to her like she matters, and they include her in their world. They have become her heroes! It’s amazing what a tiny bit of attention will do to make a little girls’ world brighter!
One of the boys Reagan has gotten to know is Donald – he’s one of Jordan’s friends. Unless she is sitting with Jordan, Reagan can be found sitting with Donald and his girlfriend, Aimee. Donald plays the trombone in the pep band. During the games on Saturday, I looked over and had a heart attack. Reagan had Donald’s trombone and was swinging it around in the air! All I could think about was dollar signs as I imagined her dropping it or doing some sort of damage to it. Before I could process those thoughts, though, she put it up to her mouth and blew through it! Evidently, I found out later, Donald had taken the time to teach her how to blow through the mouthpiece so she could make noise, and he showed her how to hold it and move the slide. She did great, and Donald made her night! These first four pictures are the ones I took, and the other two are ones Sandy took (she is also Donald’s mom).
Thank you, Donald, Jordan, Aimee, Lindsay, Alex, Taighler, and Natalie for making my baby girl feel so special and welcome. It truly says something about your character, and I am proud she has had her life touched by you. You are all amazing!
Reagan: “Donald, Donald, DONALD!!! Look what I have . . . Gross! That tastes bad!”
Donald: “Who is this kid?” 🙂
Nature Girl. Mom. Wife. Friend. Photographer. Sewer. Crafter. Artist.
To borrow a phrase – “Yeet Ye Riche”