“Eeeee-eee-eeee-eee! Breakfast is over and it’s time for a ride. If I scream just a little bit, things move faster and the ride comes quicker. Oh, how I love it when daddy takes me out in my baby buggy, down Archie’s long boardwalk to the street. When he pulls me fast, I can hear the rattle of the wheels. It makes my tummy jiggle, like laughing does, and it’s so much fun.
Momma says daddy is proud of me and calls me ‘Daddy’s Little Girl.’ But I know I’m momma’s girl too, (and grandma’s and grandpa’s,) because they all do so many nice things for me. I think it’s called love. Momma feeds and hugs me all the time; Grandma Mary, gives me nice, warm baths in a tub on the ironing board. She made me this pretty, pink bonnet and sweater I’m wearing. Grandpa, Archie, sits with me on his lap in the big, wicker rocking chair reading stories or singing songs with his beautiful booming voice. Everyone says that I’m a happy little girl and I know I am, I’m loved.
Wheeeeee! Here we go. The sky is bright blue today and I don’t see any clouds, not even one tiny little white one. But there goes Parita, our parrot, flying off to explore the neighborhood. She’ll fly back soon, to sit on mama’s shoulder in the garden, She always does. Daddy brought her back from Panama one time when he was serving in the navy. I love to see her bright green feathers, spread out with red, yellow and blue ones peeking through. Grandma says Parita is jealous of me but I don’t know what that means.
When I look down to the side of the boardwalk, I see grandma’s pansies with their pretty-colored faces looking up at me. I like to talk to them. There goes Henrietta, the red hen, pecking for worms. I wonder how many eggs she grew in the henhouse, for grandma’s delicious cakes.
I love to be outdoors. Daddy keeps taking pictures of me from a big, black box that goes ‘click.’ He’s always stopping and asking me to ‘smile.’ I don’t mind; it’s fun to smile. They say I’m nine months old and a happy baby. With all this love and attention, why wouldn’t I be?
Now, daddy’s putting me on a blanket on the grass and taking off my booties so I can play with my ten little piggies. I like the story mamma tells about my piggies: ‘The first little piggy goes to market, the second little piggy stays home, the third little piggy gets roast beef, the forth little piggy gets none, and the fifth little piggy goes oink, oink, oink, oink, all the way home.’ Oh, my toes feel warm, like the sun is coming down to kiss them. I wonder why daddy laughs when he watches me play with my toes? I never see daddy or mommy playing with their piggy-toes; they should, it’s lots of fun.
Here comes Gypsy, our little puppy we got on Labor Day. I think she wants a ride too. I wish she would jump in with me but I’m not sure if daddy will let her. Gypsy seems a little bit scared of the buggy and the noise it makes when the wheels go around. I wish I could talk like mommy and daddy and tell her to not be afraid.
That’s a good puppy. Come on, jump in the carriage with me. Ahhh, I knew it. There goes daddy, clicking that big, black box again. Let’s give him a great big smile."

Copyright © 2008 Mary L. Ports