I'm not sure where the years have gone, but my sweet baby girl is so excited to be five.
Recently she said, "It's way better than being four."
Dear E,
You add so much to our family including balance.
E, you and I are really wired differently...except when it comes to how seriously we take our food. That's pretty much the same.
I love how you stop me in my tracks daily by the comments you make.
E, you are so nurturing and naturally tender hearted. Recently, J lost a shirt that holds a bit of sentimental value, and he was crushed. You gently responded, "J, you can have my Brevin shirt." You don't even know how witnessing your nurturing side melts my heart. You are so loyal and loving to your brother. I pray this strong connection you two have will be life-long.
E, you take joy in the small things, and I love that about you.
"Mom, I have my tool belt on. I have a flashlight and my harmonica. That's pretty much all I'll ever need."
E, you are so silly and can lighten the mood around here anytime.
E, there's no doubt about it. You are girly!
You love to get all dolled up. You will only wear the clothes that you like...you'll boldly stand you're ground if you're presented with an outfit that you don't like. For your birthday you wanted a new outfit to wear to your party. You appreciate shoes a little too much, and pretty nails make your day. If you were allowed to wear a sun dress and flip-flops every single day, you would. I have a feeling that for this reason alone you'll choose to live in a warmer climate as an adult.
Your hair is becoming more important to you, and you ask to have it braided so you can get waves in the morning. Recently you looked in the mirror after a braid was complete and said, "It would look better if I had earrings." Who says this?!? A girly-girl, I suppose. You've never seen me don earrings, so your desire for bling must be innate. That sparkle in your eye and the extra bounce in your step when we go to the jewelry store just for fun blow my mind. Although a jewelry store has never elicited much excitement in me, I love to see you so excited about all things beautiful.
E, you have fun. No one ever has to tell you to enjoy yourself or to lighten up. You delight in the everyday blessings.
E, you love people, and your friends mean so much to you. Recently, you were telling me about having a bee fly around you and R at daycare. No one was hurt, but I could tell you were so concerned about everyone's safety. When I asked if the bee had to sting someone who would you want it to sting, you quickly replied, "I'd want it to sting me because I'm bigger and I wouldn't want R to have to go through that." Such as big, unselfish heart you have!
Here's the note you wrote for me when I wasn't feeling well. I'm not sure how I feel about being on a first name basis :), but you're always showing your love.
E, you are so determined! You don't shy away from new experiences. However, when things start to interfere with your girly personality, you'd rather be a princess. On your birthday, you were supposed to attend your last day of soccer camp. You opted out of it saying, "I don't want to get sweaty on my birthday."
You could spend nearly every minute of everyday coloring, painting, or creating. You recently learned to find and print your own coloring pictures. I'm thinking that you should have used your birthday money on an ink cartridge. If you're not coloring, you want to help me in the kitchen. You are such a great helper, and you are quite independent. I frequently hear, "Let me. I can do this by myself, Mom."
E, you're a one-girl wrecking crew when it comes to tidiness. You're room is a wreck all of the time, but that's how you like it. You love to be able to see all of your things, and you frequently take over an area with all your belongings. You have a hard time parting with any piece of paper you've ever touched. You can fill a purse like an old pro. Last week at flag football you unpacked almost an entire play kitchen set from your bag. And yes, you were the only one on the sidelines with a spatula and tea pot. Frequently, I'll instruct you to pack something to entertain yourself if I know we'll be waiting. This is only half the stuff you brought along to a recent appointment...
You take your food seriously...seriously serious about your food. You ask me for a snack or tell me you're hungry at least once an hour while you're awake. That is not an exaggeration. You have a sweet tooth and would eat junk food at any given moment. You even left quite the impression on Uncle M when he joined us at Valentino's. I'll have you know, impressing Uncle M with food intake is quite the accomplishment.
Although you don't always take much interest in the sporting events we attend, you go without complaint because you know that there will be a stop at the concession stand.
E, you forego the "right way" for cute all the time. When I instructed you to circle the two like items, you said, "I know I should circle the big snails, but I had to circle the baby snail because it is just so cute." That would never have crossed my mind. Thanks for offering another perspective in my "right way" world.
E, you are beautiful, inside and out. You already declare your love for Jesus. You say He lives in your heart. I pray this love continues to grow as the days pass. I am honored that God picked me to be your mom. Actually, when I really take a moment to consider that and all it means, it almost takes my breath away.
I take this mom responsibility quite seriously, and your perceived level of happiness is not and will not be my first priority as your mom. I know someday when I refer to you as my baby girl, you'll roll your eyes. I'm still going to do it though, so you'll have to find a way to deal with it. I will say "no" and embarrass you around your friends. You will have to keep doing laundry and cleaning the bathroom. You're not always going to agree with the rules I have or the boundaries we draw. Once again, you're going to have to get over it.
All that said, I so look forward to growing this mother-daughter relationship that we have. I have no idea what God has in store for us, and I don't know what curve balls will be thrown our way or how many days we have together here on earth. Regardless of the unknowns, I want you to know that I love you.
E, I love you more than you'll ever know, and I am proud of who you are.
Hugs, kisses, and love,
Mom
