“YELLOW!!! I AM YELLOW!”

If you read this blog, or know Harper Jo personally, you are probably familiar with the fact that she absolutely adores Yellow. The color. The word. The IDEA of Yellow.
We find this fact so endearing that we tend to cater to it a bit. For example, (insert photo) for Valentine’s Day, we gave her a yellow tutu and leotard (and wings). Because she had inquired upon entering her very first ballet/tap class “only pink and black mommy?” And when the teacher asked, “What color butterfly are you? Let me see you open those pretty butterfly wings.” (This was during their caterpillar to butterfly dance, obviously.) Harper gleefully screamed out – over the peaceful classical music - “YELLOW!!! I AM YELLOW!” Alas, teacher had no yellow ‘flying arms’ in her cardboard box of wings. Harper finally found some cool rainbow, semi-translucent, fairy wings that sufficed. But since Feb 14th, it’s pretty much only been her yellow tutu/leotard/wings for dancing.

Another typical example? Insistence on Yellow Nail Polish - she balked at my offerings-on-hand: a full rainbow of reds, plums, pinks, burgundies and browns.

The latest presentation of Harper’s Yellow passion has been Flowers. Our contribution to her zeal? Last weekend, we bought home a “flat”, full of each yellow flower species (that would thrive in full sunlight) and together, we planted a small garden of yellows around our purple lavender plant/bush. Thanks to Dora or the Wonder Pets or some other children’s tv gem, Harper knows very well (and regularly recites/occasionally sings) the “Four Things We All Need To Live/Grow” – (1) Sunlight; (2) Water; (3) Food; and (4) Love. (Thanks PBS!!! You are raising a great kid.)

With these factors in mind, twice a day we now have to walk around our garden (once on our walk to school, and once upon arriving home) and give Love for the flowers to grow. Harper does this by way of a little prayer, usually. This morning’s was as insightful and endearing as typically they are: “Thank you for the flowers, and Mommy, and Marley and Daddy, and, and, um, thank you for everything I hope for. Amen”