Six really fine years

My dear sweet 6-year-old daughter,

Sometimes I am absolutely startled by how much you have grown up and how suddenly it happened.  You are, without question, a kid-- a lanky, tall, snaggletoothed kid.  No longer my pudgy little baby with short curly, goldilocks hair.  Every year I find it harder to remember what life felt like before you arrived and made me a momma.

This year has been a big one for you, and for us.  You started kindergarten and have changed in many ways since the hot days of August.  It blows my mind that when you started school those short months ago, you were sounding out words slowly and with difficulty, and now you just breeze through books and write complete sentences.  I love it when you read me your Dear Diare entries from your notebook.  The entries from the past couple days have been about your birthday---

Dear Diare-- It is almost my birtday and I am xisiteed too becose it is comeing up and my mom is going to make cupcakes. 


Dear Diry-- It is almost my birthday and my freind Layla cannot come.  


Dear Diare-- I like prezends and I like dogs but my mom cannot let me have a dog yet becuse I am not old anof so I say mom let me have a dog.

I wish I could participate more in your school activities, but with M being born in October, I simply can't right now.  I feel sad about this, but I hope you know how much I want to be involved.  This is why I ask you lots of questions about your day and what you're learning and reading.  I worry that with caring for your two younger brothers, who are at very needy stages, that I am neglecting you.  I am doing the best that I can to let you know that you are deeply loved.

You have many wonderful qualities, such as being kind to others and being comfy in your own skin (like in picking out the kookiest outfits on the planet and wearing them with great ease).  I am so proud of the little girl you are.  I hope that your kindness, comfort in yourself and kookiness will grow stronger as you mature in time.

I know you will thoroughly enjoy your big birthday party this weekend.  More and more of your school friends have been RSVPing, which makes you even more excited about your 6th birthday, and I really didn't see how that was even possible.  Every day you are counting down!

I look forward to sharing many, many more birthdays with you, Bug.

Love,
Mom