Sage Day 2012

Today is Sage Day, the fourth anniversary of Sage coming home from the hospital. Although we celebrate the girls every day, Sage Day is the day we focus on what makes our Sagerooski so irrepressibly Sage. In a word, I think it comes down to her smile. It shines. It lights up a room. She smiles with her eyes - sometimes with a little mischievious, I'm just joshing you look. But always with a warmth that has you scooping her into your arms as if maybe you can capture that joy and lovely spirit. It is a smile that tells us that her good nature and sense of humor will get her far in this world.

Sage is very thoughtful about others. She will spontaneously give little back rubs (to us or to worms)...even when we're not patting her back first. Her first concern, outside of herself, is almost always for Lucy. She will furrow her brow and in a most concerned voice ask where Lucy is when she's not around. As devoted as Sage is to Lucy, her teachers report that she is the more likely of the two to engage with other kids in their class. 

We also appreciate Sage's enthusiasm for helping - she is particularly good about picking up and putting her toys back where they belong, all the while singing "Sage is helping, thank you very much." She has become authoritative in what others should be doing - usually Lucy is the focus of these instructions, but I definitely hear about it if I'm not doing something the right way. The other day the girls were playing AniMatch  (memory game where you find 10 pairs of animals) on the iPad and Sage was very instructive when Lucy did not find what was the obvious (to Sage) match. Very instructive...and always right.

We have come to take Sage's health for granted. She had only one cold this winter requiring antibiotics. While Lucy and I fought bug after bug, Sage was the healthiest of the Phellehers. We forget that she too was also born nearly 10 weeks early and weighing only 3 pounds. This spring she has discovered her physicality. She climbs everything she can and dances daily.

Thanksgiving 2011 (only 6 months ago)

Unfortunately, she has not become much neater in her eating over time. If the girls wear a matching outfit, I have no doubt who wore which item of clothing when it comes through the laundry. Sage leaves her calling card all across the front, and sometimes even the back, of nearly everything she wears.

Sage in early April 2012

Rooskie, you are all these things and so much more. You bring joy to our lives every single day with your infectious laugh, the funny things you say, and your tight, full body cuddles. We appreciate your laid back attitude, your understanding when your sometimes higher maintenance sister needs attention, without sacrificing yourself when you also need some TLC. We  love you all the way to the moon and back a thousand times over. You are our sweet, sweet Sage.