Sweet Childhood

You know how sometimes you find little treasures that make you smile in your kids' coat pockets before you send their jackets into the laundry?  Well, today, I had this pleasure on a larger scale when I went through a bag Emilia had packed for herself for an imaginary trip.  I was really impressed with some of her practical choices (a pen, a scarf, a whistle #safety, a washcloth, and a phone), but more importantly I was touched by the things she chose to bring along that make her who she is: her favorite dress up outfit, a small crown, sunglasses, caricatures of herself and her siblings, and a dictionary.  I hope the sweetness of this child of mine is something I'll always remember and something that she'll never lose.