Five!

Dear Maggie,

Today you are 5 years old. You are as bright eyed and extraordinary as the day you were born. This is the most excited you have ever been for your birthday to arrive. You say it’s because you’re finally “a whole hand” old. You told me 5 year olds know how to read and loose teeth.

Your excitement leading up the this day has me smiling and remembering how excited I would get for birthdays.  Lately, as I snuggle you before bed, you have been counting “how many sleeps until I am 5”. Then, I snuggle you tighter, worrying how many more years you’ll hop into bed and ask “do I get snuggles first tonight?”

You’ve grown up a lot in the past few months. Perhaps the arrival of a new baby has made you seem a lot bigger. Since the summer, I’ve seen the last bits of baby fading from your face. You are looking so much more like a big kid. You’ve learned to spell lots of words and your drawings look more like “big kid art”. You ask to help out around the house, and really help (you fold clothes better than I do). You love taking care of Tommy and teaching Alex new things. 

People always say it goes too fast, and it does. I blinked my eyes and went from taking you home from the hospital to registering you for kindergarten. I panic and think “oh my word, you’re half way to 10”!  Then I stop, take a deep breath and think of all the magnificent things you have ahead of you in life.

I also revel in all the wonderful things that remind me your still so little. You still jump into my lap at every chance you get. You love to hold my hand. My favorite, most recent thing, is that after dinner you request we make “ice cream sundowns”, and I don’t have the heart to correct you. 

Felt birthday crown and felt cat mask are from the fabulous Opposite of Far. 

I enjoy that I have someone in the house that loves traveling as much as I do. We chat about the world and places we want to go. There are so many places I want to take you. Your first request is that we head back to Arizona and explore the desert more. 

There are many things in my life that I am thankful for, but being able to call myself your mom, is  surely one of the greatest. You’re my first born, and have taught me everything I know about being a mom. You are thoughtful and caring. At parent teacher conferences this year I was told you are smart and an “old soul”. You are both. Daddy and I joke that you are 4 going on 74. 

You still love princesses and fancy dresses, but this year you’ve decided some of your best friends are boys and you prefer to play animals over anything else. Your favorite color is now yellow, because my favorite color is yellow. Your favorite thing to do is watch animal videos with Daddy, and you now know more animal facts than anyone I know. You spend the majority of your day pretending to be an animal. Usually it’s a cat or cheetah. When you grow up, you want to be a vet and a mom. Your favorite book is “My Mommy is Magic”. You just about have it memorized and every time you recite it, my heart grows. 

Today you are 5. For 5 years, you’ve brought joy to our lives each and every day. Your excitement and enthusiasm for life is contagious. When you smile, you light up the world. 

Happy Birthday sweet girl. Love, Mom