She’s only four (going on fourteen), but, Heaven help me, the mood swings are killing me.

Isn’t he adorable?

I am Owen. I am seventeen pounds of pure determination. Chronologically, I may be a baby, but I have the heart of a lion. I fear nothing. Mama says I am too little to walk, but I attempt it anyway. When I fall down, I get back up. I hit my head many times in a day, but it only makes me tougher, stronger, and more determined. I speak in a husky, man-child voice, just a shadow of the roar it will one day become.

My brother, Elijah, is a tough guy, too, but I think I could take him. My name means “young warrior”, and that I am. I valiantly take on my brother who is over twice my size. I laugh at his struggle to get away. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. My middle name means “God is gracious”, and I hope he will grace my opponents with the mercy they need to escape me.

One day, I will be as big and strong as my dad. I train with him, already. I can almost take him down with my razor sharp fingernails and my dagger-like teeth. I pity the poor soul who firsts meets my fury when I am at my full size and strength. My dad already has me on a low-carb, high-protein diet.

After a long day of exploration and conquest, like all great warriors, I go to sleep in the manliest of ways. For, I am Owen the Brave.

Happy Girl….

Not So Happy Girl…