Five years ago today I became a mom to a little girl who is everything I dreamed of and more. You are sweet, shy, caring, and extremely lovable. When you turn on your full smile and let those dimples show, it warms my heart. Although you don't like us to call you a "little girl", you are still a petite little thing and it is hard not to call you that. However, each day you often do something that makes me realize that the "little girl" is fading away to be replaced by a "kid" who likes to do big kid things. Our most recent introduction to this is the addition of a CD player in your room which you enjoy playing very loudly which results in me asking you to turn it down. As much as you don't like to hear this, I also don't like to find myself doing things that remind me that I am now doing many of the things my mother did when I was little. These actions remind me that not only are you growing up, but I am too.You are such a good kid. Often strangers watch you interact with your brother & I while we are out and many, many times they tell me what a sweet girl you are. You are a terrific big sister. You play so well with your brother and almost always include him (or are willing to include him) in what you are doing. You love to play house, dress up in costumes, play doctor, and dance around to music. I love to watch you try to lift Jason and spin him around. He practically weighs the same as you, so it is an impressive act that you can get his toes off the floor.
You love to climb. This was not something that you tormented us with when you were a baby, but it is definitely something you love to do now. With encouragement you will try new things, but it often takes some coaxing. In the last year you started skating & in the spring you donned some strap-on rollerblades. Hopefully we will have more time over the next year to practice these two skills so that you can go even faster & have more fun. Another thing that we need to commit some time to is getting those training wheels off. I think you are ready, so hopefully we can get them off before your bike goes away for the winter. These acts are things that you like to do & I think it is because you can be with people, but do your own thing at the same time. You may not want to be the leader of a group, but you still are not a follower which generally makes us pretty happy (during soccer for example, it would be great if you were more interested in doing the same as the rest of the team ;)). Our hope is that you grow to be comfortable in your skin & not be what someone else wants you to be.
Although you have grown a lot in the last year, there are some things that are still the same. Your favourite things right now are:
- the colour yellow
- chocolate (although you enjoy candy or anything sweet in general)
- swimming (you are getting closer to swimming on your own)
- crafts (you quite often want to keep us from throwing out things so that you can make a craft with it- the wrapper from a Kool-aid jammer for example)
- books (hopefully you like to read as much as you like to be read to)
- t.v. (I often wonder if we let you watch more t.v. if you would be less transfixed when it is on, but I am not willing to test that theory)
- music (you often make up your own songs)
- movie night ( you love when you get to stay up later & watch a movie with Mommy & Daddy)
