Harper Leigh

It's Harper Leigh's Birthday! She's turning four years old and is ready for the Amazon boxes to show up on our doorstep! Being the first born girl, she is used to the whole family sending ridiculous amounts of presents our way. In the last four years, I have yet to buy her a birthday gift. She has yet to notice. She's too busy with the towers of boxes on our stoop. We are very fortunate.

Our Alexa let's us know, "Someone is at the door." What she means to say is "something" is at the door. A large box has arrived. Harper opens the front door, nods, and waves off the Amazon driver, as though she is a full grown adult from the 1940's, thanking her weekly milkman. She attempts to lift the box with no luck. I help her get it in. Together, we open this big box and discover several shiny silver patterned bags. Loosening the ribbons, I hand each bag to Harper Leigh so she may look inside. Costumes! Each bag has a different outfit. Princess dresses and animal masks pile in the living room. Harper shrieks. "What it is?" I ask. She yells back, "Restaurant! I own a restaurant Momma!" She lifts the pink and white waitress uniform from the bag. I am puzzled. "Don't you want to try on your princess dresses? This blue one looks just like a Disney princess gown." "No." she replies. "Momma, come upstairs to my room. Let's get my restaurant ready for customers." I begrudgingly agree.

She begins by setting her one foot table with a napkin, plastic plate and silverware. "Can you get me a nampkin?" she asks. I run to the kitchen to grab a paper napkin. "Here ya go boss!" She looks pensive. "What's a boss?" I giggle and do my best to explain. "Well, a boss is someone in charge... kind of like a parent. Right now, you own a restaurant. You get to tell me what to do." Like any four year old told they're in charge, she squeals with joy. Immediate regret sets in but I am committed. I turn on my creative lightbulb and look around her room. I notice her highlighter pink rose night light. "Hey! I have a great idea. Let's put your roses on the table like a real restaurant." "Okay!" she replies. I place the roses in the center of her table.

"Momma, what's this?" She reveals a large plastic plate included in the waitress bag. "Oh, well that is a serving plate, I believe." "Mommy, can you get me some milk?" "Harper, you know I don't like you playing with real food in your room. You don't clean it up." She pauses for a minute and comes up with a pretty damn good reply. "Mom.." she sighes. "I am a big girl now. I will clean it up when I'm done. Remember, I'm your boss." Why did I have to call her boss? Again, I run down to the kitchen to grab a small glass of milk. With glee, she pours the milk into the milkshake cup and adds a red and white spiraled straw. She then puts the cup on her serving tray and balances it with one hand like a pro. "Would you like to have a milkshake, hun?" What a hoot! She is a total natural. I think about where she may have mimmicked this line but no matter. "Yes, m'am." I answer. She hands me the milk and immediately holds out her hand. "You have to pay." Luckily, her apron has paper dollars hanging out of the pocket. I ask if I may have her money. She nods and hands it over. "Okay! Here you are m'am. Thanks for the shake!," I say. "Mom! This is not enough!" I respond, "Are you kidding me?" "Nope." she smirks. "Well, I guess I will have to give this back then." I hand her the cup of milk but she refuses my gesture. "No Mom. I love you. You can have it." Though this incredible little person has already made it clear she is independent and at times controlling, I can't help but melt in the moments she shows empathy. Perhaps some day she will be a boss, a good boss. "I love you, too. Happy Birthday Harper Leigh."