Lydia Turns 5

The first year of Lydia's life, her ears stuck out so far that I could put my index fingers behind each one, and with the slightest movement, make them dance to goofy songs I'd sing to her. We spent hours doing that.

When she was one, Lydia went through her goth phase, during which she would dismiss anyone who tried to make her smile  or laugh with an exaggerated, disappointed sigh. She was both a preacher's kid and the world's meanest baby, a combination that was comic gold for me and BJ.

Three weeks after Lydia turned two, Violet was born. Lydia fell in love, put away her sighs, and became a miraculously happy child.

At three, Lydia introduced us to her imaginary friend, Jimmy. He has become a permanent and ever-present fixture in our family, so much so that when I asked Violet what we should name the new baby when I was pregnant with Finn, she confidently said, "Jimmy!"

 At four, Lydia fell in love with Luke Skywalker after obsessively watching THIS Bad Lip Reading video a thousand times. Thankfully, Luke Skywalker and Jimmy became good friends, so it kept the drama to a minimum.

With Lydia in our family, we are constantly either totally exasperated or laughing uncontrollably. She is the energy around which we all revolve. No one has ever made me laugh more, and we all know that in her, the enormous personality of BJ Gensic has finally met it's match. I can't wait to see what our little spit-fire does at the age of five!