Chlo Jo is Nine and Feelin' Fine

The day started out with rain clouds and ended with cake. That’s because it was somebody’s birthday. That somebody would be my baby sister, Chloe. Chloe (also known as Chlo Dawg or Chlo Jo) turned nine today. And being nine is a pretty big deal. So here are nine things you may or may not know about Chloe:

1. Chloe has this obsession with cats. She’s going through a phase where things are only cool if they somehow involve cats. A shirt with a cat on it. A cat backpack. Cat jewelry. Cat bedding for her bed. She would probably even start excusing herself to the litter box if she could. We’re hoping she grows out of it.

2.       Chloe is a flower child. She is this child of the earth. The kid is tan year-round because she is outside every chance she gets. She also hates taking baths and combing her hair.

3.    Chloe stole my room. Then she even put a sign on it that says, “Only parents and kitties allowed.” Notice that excludes me, the first resident of that beloved bedroom (which now has vinyl of cats on the walls).

4.       I feel like Chlo has given me a tiny glimpse of what it feels like to be a mom. You see, when she was born, I was almost 13 years-old so I knew what was up. I spent a lot of time helping my mom take care of Chloe. I remember holding her tiny body carefully on my shoulder and smiling at her precious sleeping face. It is weird for me to watch her grow up.

5. Apparently, out on the playground, Chloe is accepted by the male species. When the boys say, "No girls are allowed to play with us," they go ahead and throw in an, "accept for Chloe. She can play." Yep, the child is a bit of a tomboy.

6.       Chloe has long, dark, perfectly curled eyelashes that every girl should be jealous of.

7. Chloe cannot be a normal human being while in front of a camera. Seriously. She always has to pull some ridiculous pose.

8. Chlo Jo has some art skills. Watch out. Her stuff might be in a museum one day. 

9. One of Chloe's favorite things is to make people laugh. It's something I really admire about her. She loves to be goofy and she just lives her life with this sweet, joyous free spirit. It's a breath of fresh air. 

Happy Birthday, Chlo Dawg! I hope you enjoy the art kit and beady animal kit Bri and I got you (I'm a total rad big sister). 

Also: Do you guys remember the beady animals? Please tell me you made one as a kid? You know, where you put colored beads on string in a certain pattern and it created a lizard or some other creature? Yeah, I was totally stoked when I found a kit this week. I knew I had to buy one for Chlo.