Three years ago tonight, shortly after a tight-panted, paunchy Elvis impersonator patted her overly ripe, pregnant belly, Linette gave birth to our beautiful daughter, Clementine. It’s hard to believe that the little girl I now have conversations with about things like evolution, U.S. energy policy, and monsters, is the same small, screaming ball of raw nerve endings that Linette brought into the world just a little over 1,000 days ago.Yesterday, as I was giving Clementine her bath, she said to me, out of nowhere, “I am a powerful woman.” It’s amazing what can happen in three short years. If she’s already a powerful woman, I can’t begin to imagine what the next three years hold. And I can’t wait to see it unfold.
I love you, Clementine. Happy birthday.
And thank you, Linette, for being such a wonderful role model for our little, powerful woman.
15 Comments
Damn you Mark Maynard, you got me choked on your love again.
Happy birthday Clementine, Mark and Linette.
You’ve been given and raised well a delightful powergirl.
You aren’t alone. Quite a few people have choked on my love.
Holy cow! I can’t believe it’s been three years already. She is an amazing woman. Besides being utterly adorable.
Happy birthday, Clementine! One thing I’ve learned during my life is that the only real hope for humanity is more powerful women.
C’mon, roar
Happy Birthday beautiful girl. You are an amazing child, with so much personality and spirit. You have fun doing anything and everything, and are so inquisitive about the world around you – you are just a marvel to behold. All three of the Maynard/Lao household are truly lucky. A house filled with love and respect. Have a great time being 3!!!!!!
Awww she’s so big now! Last time I saw her, she was crawling on the ground at our internship site.
Happy Birthday, little Clementine and here’s hoping for many more happy years.
That was sweet. *sniffs*
I predict that in the next three years this powerful woman will begin to master the martial arts of reading, writing, and calculating. She will then use these new powers to take on invading space monkeys, save Ypsi from imminent destruction from a guy in a big rubber monster suit, and possibly plan something useful to do with Waters Street. Powerful indeed!
Happy Birthday Clementine!
Happy (belated) birthday to Clementine. That she already is a powerful woman is the coolest thing I’ve heard in a long time. Given her empowering parents, however, I’m not surprised.
happy birthday, clementine, you gorgeous creature!
Happy Birthday, Clementine!
I’m an emotionally mature man, so I’m not intimidated by powerful women such as yourself. Ok, well the second part is true anyway.
sniff..sniff…I, uh, I gasp I guess I’m just too darn moved to talk right now…
You’re a lucky guy, Mark. You have a great family, and a great life.
Ok, well, maybe not all of it was luck. I’m sure some of it can be attributed to the fact that you are not a complete jackass.
Still though, I’m not taking back what I said earlier about your scary ass having no chance of ever making it in the rap game.
(see http://markmaynard.com/index.php/2007/04/24/david_ware_s_lyrics_and_the_role_they_pl#comments)
It doesn’t sound (or look) like Clementine has a problem, but if anyone out there has a problem with either self-esteem or weight loss, I’ve got a book coming out in April 2008 by the Free Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, that might help.
Happy Birthday, Clementine. You go girl!
Adorable! Happy birthday! :)