Definition of Cute

Somehow, I think Calliope is so cute all the time that I forget just how cute she is, and I forget to share certain things.  Often, it is through someone else’s eyes that these moments are brought to light.
Yesterday, we had over about sixteen people for tacos.  It was my way of welcoming Bekky to the west coast for a visit, gathering many of her friends and mine too in one place where we could visit and generally enjoy one another’s company.  She moved across country to live and help take care of her dear parents.  It was so nice to see some of our closest friends who I could never see enough of…
As we sat in the TV room with Ryan and Shannon watching Pan and Calliope play with each other, the toys and all us adults, Calliope’s eye caught one of her favorite books.  She did what she always does (I have no idea how long this has been going on honestly) grabbed the book, handed it to me and turned around.  Then she started backing up to me so she could sit in my lap and have me read it.  As she did this, quite gracefully I might add, she started chanting “beep, beep, beep”!  So cute.  At some point after Michael and I discovered what she was doing by backing up, we had started making that noise as if she were a service truck backing up and warning the surrounding environment of its intentions.  Of course, now she does this all the time and especially when we pick up a pair of her shoes.  She is ready to go!  And she backs up into us with the tiniest of steps until one of her feet hits us and then she plops down to have us put her shoes on.  Her aim isn’t always the best, and she misses her mark often, but she is all the more cute for it.
When Shannon saw what she was doing, the look on her face was priceless and I wish I had somehow snapped a picture of it so I can save it for all time.  But alas, the cameras were nowhere near us, nor did I think of it at the time.  I was so enthralled in her response, I couldn’t be bothered.  Thank you Shannon for your perspective.  It reminded me of just how cute my little girl is…  Of course, don’t get this wrong.  I love and appreciate Calliope more than words can say every day.
A long time ago, a very good friend of mine by the name of Jessica Gath, used to hang out with me and have tea all the time.  Proper tea even, as I lived with a couple of guys from New Zealand and England, the true purveyors of fine tea.  I digress, but the point is that I often joked with Jessica that she was the “definition of cute” because of her infectious smile and an intense curiosity about life in general.  And to some degree the fact that she is a tiny bit on the small side probably had something to do with it as well.  In any case, I am sorry to inform you Jessica, that now that you are married, and all grown up, I now must reassign this moniker to Calliope.  She is hands down the definition of cute.