Super Duper Trooper

Tonight's post was supposed to be full of photos of Charlie and her classmates at her friend Alice's 4th birthday party. Instead, however, we give you photographs of Charlie's first food in 22 hours -- plain noodles and a strawberry fruit bar.
Poor love was struck with a flu-like bug that required an abandoning of her bed, three different pillows, five changes of pajamas, and six trips to the bathroom between 8 p.m. and 3:40 a.m. And because this blog is as much for Charlie as it is for all of you reading now, let us say,

Charlie, we could not have been more impressed and proud of how well you handled your sickness. As you retched, were bathed twice, changed clothes again and again, and unceremoniously handed a plastic bowl to puke into, you never complained, you never cried a single tear, never fussed. You were uncommonly funny at 2 a.m. when you said to me, "Mommy, when Palo [your teacher] was a baby, he cried like this 'wa wa wa'." And at 3:40 a.m. when we were reading the Cat and the Hat and you said with all seriousness, "Mommy, I can't balance a cake on my hat. I'm sorry," my heart just about burst with wonder that we have created you -- such a gorgeous, funny, caring, and altogether fantastic kid. Cha Cha, your place as greatest kid ever is secure.

Love, Mommy and Daddy

(You -- being fancy -- just hours before the puking began)

And lastly, a few pictures from New Year's Eve (better ones over at A Girl Named Elliot). Here are Run E&C mixing up the hits for all the party people.