Nyssa and Baby Miss Priss ~ five months old.
The Birthday ChildOn Friday, Little Miss M (Miss Priss or Stinkerbell) turned eight. I missed it. It's one of my shortcomings, I have trouble remembering birthdays. So Stinkerbell, this is for you.
Everything's been different
All the day long,
Lovely things have happened,
Nothing has gone wrong.
Nobody has scolded me,
Everyone has smiled.
Isn't it delicious
To be a birthday child?
~ Rose Fyleman
When we moved to Mississippi, Nyssa was three and started at the pre-school and daycare run by the First United Methodist Church. Big Miss M was just a senior in high school attending Immanuel High School. She worked after school at the daycare and that is how we met. Big Miss M (heretofore known as "Momma M"), born and raised in Mississippi is a true Southern Belle and with long blond curly hair, she looked more like Nyssa than I did. She became my occasional baby sitter, house sitter, cat sitter and the first love of our "Babe Magnet", Mr. Rhett. After graduation, she also started working as one of our medical transcriptionists, so we developed a great friendship. She and her family consider Nyssa their firstborn. Her hubby, Mr. M even helped teach Nyssa to drive... brave man.
Baby Miss Priss and Nyssa ~ ten months old
Love those braces!
Fast forward ten years to 1999 and the birth of Miss Priss. Now, Nyssa becomes baby sitter and all around big sister friend to the little one who was born a Southern Belle. They share much including hand-me-down clothes and Halloween costumes; and the love of the water. Both had bikinis before they turned one and both broke the little boys hearts in kindergarten.
Miss Priss and the Little Mermaid (aka Nyssa) ~ third birthday (2002)
Miss Priss is smart and although demure as all full-blooded belles, she still has a streak of Scarlet O'Hara in her. She has had her run ins with the Hallmark frogs but this is no worse than her mother's "candy bars hidden on the ceiling fan blades" episode. That story is best saved for Momma M's birthday! By three, Miss Priss had become a big fan of The Little Mermaid, so we dug out the decorations from Nyssa's third birthday (also The Little Mermaid) and had a big party, with bowling, fishing for prizes, a Little Tykes train ride and....(trumpets here)... a visit from the Little Mermaid herself.
Soft glove boxing match ~ 2004, age five
Nyssa attended the same school as Momma M until her junior year and then graduated from the Mississippi School for Math and Science in 2004. A week later we moved to Virginia. It was sad to leave Momma M, Papa M and Miss Priss, but Nyssa visited several times while in her freshman year at Sewanee and I went back to finalize things when the house sold. Miss Priss started 4 year old kindergarten that year; at Immanuel, of course. She has blossomed into a bright student and an outgoing social butterfly. I expect to see her as a Junior Varsity Cheerleader in a few years.
But on Friday, Miss Priss turned eight... Momma M, it is definitely time to get started on that brother or sister now.... It is hard to believe that this time has passed so quickly; just yesterday she was a baby and just yesterday Nyssa was in second grade as well, just getting started. Oh, make the time spin more slowly if it can't be stopped.
Happy Birthday Stinkerbell! I know your mommy and daddy and grandparents are so proud of you; so are Miss Nyssa and I. You are so sweet and kind and smart; and if you want to know how to do the candy bar bombs, just call me in a few years... shhhh! Don't tell your mom I said anything! Have a great year to come!
By the way, when Miss Priss was just three, the lab had a baby picture contest. All employees and docs brought their baby pictures to be placed on the bulletin board. Then the others had to guess who each picture belonged to. Momma M brought one of herself at age two, with her dad. She had no chance... one look at the picture and everyone thought it was a mistake... that was Miss Priss. The resemblance is uncanny... they could have been twins at that age.
Happy 8th Birthday, Stinkerbell!
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