happy + birthday: Lettie Lou

So many birthdays! Today was Collette's birthday! Happy Birthday Lettie-Lou! She is the youngest girl cousin in our family.

• Collette is adorable. She has BIG, dark brown eyes and long lashes. (She's too cute for her own good :)
• Collette is precocious. She likes to be in charge. And school is no exception. Here's a story from a couple of weeks ago: My Aunt Hilary works in her little class every now and then. This last time she was there, the class was learning about the days of the weeks. She heard this conversation--Teacher: "Collette, what day comes after Thursday?" --Collette: "The answer is Friday, but I would like to go off topic and talk about Alaska." (Collette's "off-topic" ideas usually end up with a request from the teacher to put her head down on the desk for a few minutes. Hahaha.) Later, Aunt Hilary had to tell Collette that she is NOT the teacher and needs to stay on topic. Now every day after school: --Masino Family: "How was school today Collette?" --Collette: "Good. I listened to the teacher, I didn't go off topic and I didn't have to put my head on the desk." BaHaha. I love my Lettie-Lou. She makes me laugh so hard. 
• Collette is silly. She does a crazy Egyptian chicken dance that cracks me up every time. When she's older, I think I'll use it as blackmail. :)
• Collette is a good friend. She and Daniel are best buddies and play so nicely together all the time. (Except for one time: We were all at Grandma and Grandpa's and they both came to Aunt Mandy with a story about the other--taddle-tale-ing.  It was a "he-said, she-said" deal and they were both talking feverishly to finish first. Things got heated real quick and they started yelling calling each other a liar. haha. It all escalated so fast and I still don't know what got them so upset. They really hurt each others' feelings because they're such best buds. Two minutes later all was forgotten.) 
• Collette is persuasive. Last time I was home in California, Collette asked if I would like a massage. She led me up to their bathroom where she had stacked pillows and towels to make it "comfy" for me. I was ordered to lay down and relax. She then proceeded to place a paper towel over my hands and then "paint" over them with a paintbrush and water. No lotion--just water. Then she drew a picture on one of the paper towels. She put the picture on my hand as well and put water on that one. Apparently, it was a new method of ink transfer. It was the most artistic massage I've ever received. 
• Collette is an avid admirer of pistachios. I've never seen someone, let alone a little wisp o' the willow child, have such an insatiable appetite for that pesky nut. I sat for nearly a half hour cracking open pistachios for Lettie and feeding them to her like a baby bird. I thought my fingers would bleed from all that pistachio shell cracking. I bet she ate half the bag!
• Collette is sweet. When she wears her hair in braids I call her Brigitta because she looks like a little Von Trapp singer. I remember when she was born and I saw her for the first time. She was so small and tan and had such dark hair. The first time I babysat her I rocked her and fed her. I pretended she was my own little baby and sang lullabies to her.
• Collette is a joy and brings so much laughter to the family. At our Granddaughter Sleepover with Grandma, we all played the Barbie Board Game--a very retro style game. One of the objectives is to get a boyfriend. Collette was all over that. Until....she got Poindexter....not Ken. She was beside herself. "But I don't WANT Poindexter!" she cried and cried. (I switched with her--even though I really didn't want Poindexter either.) She always says the funniest things. Such a big and boisterous personality from such a small little thing. I love you Lettie-Lou!!! You'll always be my little Brigitta and the best masseuse I've ever had! Happy Birthday!