If I could keep you little...

On a quick trip to Target this past week, I saw this book: If i could keep you little... written and illustrated by Marianne Richmond.  The illustrations are wonderful - simple but fun.

How many times have we, as parents, said that phrase? 

Perhaps I'm just a bit nostalgic this week, since our baby turned four years old today (more on that later)!

Just because it is so precious, here's the book:

If I could keep you little, I'd hum you lullabies.
But then I'd miss you singing your concert's big surprise.
If I could keep you little, I'd hold your hand everywhere.
But then I'd miss you knowing, "I can go...you stay there."
If I could keep you little, I'd kiss your cuts and scrapes.
But then I'd miss you learning from your own mistakes.
If I could keep you little, I'd strap you in real tight.
But then I'd miss you swinging from your treetop height.
If I could keep you little, I'd decide on matching clothes.
But then I'd miss you choosing dots on top and stripes below.
If I could keep you little, I'd cut your bread into shapes.
But then I'd miss you finding, "Hey!  I like ketchup with my grapes!"
If I could keep you little, I'd tell you stories every night.
But then I'd miss you reading the words you've learned by sight.
If I could keep you little, I'd push you anywhere.
But then I'd miss you feeling your speed from here to there!
If I could keep you little, I'd pick for you a friend or two...
But then I'd miss you finding friends you like who like you, too!
If I could keep you little, we'd fingerpaint our art.
But then I'd miss you creating stories from your heart.
If I could keep you little, I'd push your ducky float.
But then I'd miss you feeling the wind behind summer's boat.
If I could keep you little, we'd nap in our fort midday.
But then I'd miss you sharing adventures from camp away.
If I could keep you little, I'd fly you with my feet.
But then I'd miss you seeing sky and clouds from your seat.
If I could keep you little, I'd keep you close to me.
But then I'd miss you growing into who you're meant to be!