Let Me Begin By Saying:

I LOVE THIS GIRL!

She is funny, intelligent, sweet, helpful, loving, insightful, beautiful, zany, and just about the coolest kid I have ever known. She is a ball of energy and excitement. She has a keen sense of right and wrong. She lives in the moment. She's spunky and plucky. In the words of a family friend, "Amy is a survivor."

But Amy is also an enigma. I have really struggled to understand who she is and struggled even more to figure out how to work with her. I'm still not really sure. Every day brings new challenges, and I feel like I am always behind the 8-ball when it comes to parenting her. Just when I get something figured out, the game changes and I've got to figure out how to play all over again.

That's why, when the day gets tough, I remind myself of those four words at the top of my post.