Little Girls are made of....

What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice, and everything nice, That's what little girls are made of.

One of the greatest things about my wife being an ECE(Early childhood educator). Is that there was always kids around. I have learned lots of great things from all of the little ones that have come and gone over the years.

One of the best lessons I have learned is the wonderment of life. The curiosity of things around them as they start their journey of exploration. The caterpillar on the fence, the leaf on the deck or a bird chirping in the tree.

Riley is one of the young people that my wife has taken care of over the years. She was a child who took in all of life's wonders.

Another lesson that I have learned is that kids, well they keep you young. If not young at heart. Not all that long ago, I met up with Riley and her parents. I couldn't believe how grown up she had gotten. A beautiful young lady. A spitting image of her mother. You see, I have known her mom, dad and grandparents for years. Her father stood up for me when I got married. He was one of my life long friends. I have great memories of a driving lesson with Keith, but that will have to wait for another day....

The one day I took great pride in, was when her parents got married. You see, I did a little conniving to introduce her dad to her mother. Her mother was a great gal that I got to know at this little dive of a coffee shop on Windsor's west end (Its long gone now). Everytime I went into the place to play Tetris, Kimmy aka #3 always served me my caffine fix. Then one saturday night, I brought Keith into this coffee shop and got them talking. Keith was a little ackward, I wasn't much smoother, and I just kinda helped them to get to know each other. Then they took it from there.

Keith's parents hold a special place in my heart. When I first met his dad, Mr. Wilson sat me down and we talked. We talked for hours and hours. He made me feel very welcome in their home. The kettle was always put on for tea whenever I later visited the house. Mrs. Wilson was always asleep as she always worked nights at the hospital. But I was touched by her generosity as well.

You see, my daughter was born in 1993 at Grace Hospital. The same hospital that Mrs. Wilson worked. That night a fuzzy bunny rabbit toy was found in her crib at the hospital. Mrs. Wilson had delivered it earlier that day. It became the feature toy in Becca's Canadian Baby Photograph. An enlargment of it was quickly delivered to the Wilson's home.

Then Keith and Kimmy began to have kids. I think they figured out how it happens. Cause, like us, they stopped at two. First was Ian and then Riley. Then to sit back and watch these guys go through life. Overcoming the same obstacles that my wife and I had to. Observing the same milestones that my kids hit just a few years earlier.

My family and I have since moved to Calgary Alberta. We still keep in touch with the Wilson clan. Emails fly back and forth, or updates on Facebook. They are still part of my life. Only the distance has grown bigger in miles. Then one day I open up a box of old photos. There are many that have made their way out here.

I grabbed a few pictures and started to flip through them. When I came across this one. It was one of my all time favourites. I remember the day I picked up the package from the photolab and flipped through them. I was thrilled at how well this particular photo turned out. I couldn't wait to give Riley's parents a copy of it. To mark another milestone in both of our lives.