A Bit of Starling

I looked out into the cold and wet gray yesterday evening and saw a little barefoot Starling, clad in her cheetah outfit, crouched down, and carefully inspecting rocks. 

Upon further investigation I discovered that Hans was in the throes of despair at that very moment. He'd discovered a small dead bug next to the French doors in the girls' room, decided its passing was too tragic to be borne, and begun to sob.

Starling had, in a "buck up" and matter-of-fact manner told him that she would say a prayer for the bug and that she would then find a rock under which Hans could give it a proper burial.

Dear girl.

Mike recently gave her a small, old ukulele we had sitting around. She likes to get it out and carefully wipe it down with baby wipes. And she occasionally takes it to bed with her so she can strum her sisters to sleep. We turned on some of Mike's old country favorites tonight. She ran to get her ukulele and then brought it to me in near tears because when she strummed it ... it didn't exactly match up to the sound of "The Cowboy in the Continental Suit".

She continues to quietly go off and create little things all of the time. I'm generally not allowed to look until she is finished, and usually she gifts them to me. (Though the "pillow" she made from paper towels, staples and cotton balls was offered to me in exchange for a treat. Bartering. Clever.)

A "framed" picture of Mike, Starling and me.

The pillow.

Something sweet she taped to the fridge after asking Mette a few spelling questions.

Here she is asking me to take a picture of her and "this cute girl" she found at Old Navy. Haha.

Mette tried to remedy the glaring problem with this new friend. (And did the same on the next one we found.) 

And when we were going to the cabin last (after not having been there for a while) and Mike said, "I hope the cabin is in good shape," she mischievously questioned, "Like you don't want it to be a triangle?"

Do you know I honestly, truly was 99% positive that Hans was my last child? I was! It's horrifying to even consider that 1% idea not having lit up my mind as it did! Thank goodness thank goodness!