Four!

Today Miss Maggie is 4 years old! It’s a big day for her, and got me thinking about being a parent for 4 years. For about the past 20 years, I’ve lived in increments of four years of learning: 4 years of high school, followed by 4 years college, followed by 4 years of life on my own in Chicago before getting engaged, 4 years of marriage & as of today, 4 years of parenting. I can certainly say I learned the most in the 4 years of parenting. Maggie came into the world wide eyed & alert; she hasn’t slowed down since. She’s been my teacher over the past 4 years; sharing new lessons with me daily. I am thankful to be have been blessed with such a wonderful first child, who could guide me through all the “firsts” and stages. She’s the one who made me a mom & after four years of “learning” has helped me really find my grove. My heart was bursting, while I peaked into her pre-school classroom today: wearing her birthday crown & sharing pink cupcakes with her class. 

Dress: Tutu Du Monde

Dear Maggie, 

Today you are four years old & you are fabulous! 

You are smart. We often tell you that you are “wise beyond your years” & sometimes I feel like i’m having a conversation with a little old lady. Your favorite activity is science class & you love showing me what your “experiment of the week” was. 

You are kind. You show this in your love of your whole family & your constant concern with how other people are doing. Most of all, you show this in your love & protection of your little sister. 

You are full of smiles & your laugh is contagious. Surely I wish I could sleep in every morning, but if I am going to wake up before the sun, there’s no better way than how our mornings start: you tapping me on the shoulder & opening my eyes to the world’s happiest smile. You’ve started to tell jokes & when you tell them, you crack yourself up (& us too). 

You are brave. It always surprises me, in new settings, how brave you are. Whether it’s an amusement park ride, collecting bugs, getting up close with animals, starting a new class, etc. You are not afraid to try new things. 

Your favorites: 

Your favorite color is pink. Occasionally a little purple, but never black, brown or blue. Your favorite toys are anything & everything princess related. You spend hours coloring and drawing. You’ve starting signing all your works of art with your name & you can write mom too. You love dresses, your tiara and dancing around the house.  When you get home from school, you get out of your school clothes so fast, you’d think they were on fire. You always need to get into something “better for dancing at a royal ball”. 

Almost daily, you ask me “how does someone get to Disney World?” You just want to meet Minnie & “see that big castle”. You want to learn how to fly like Peter Pan & see if Anna & Elsa live there too. 

You don’t know this yet, but tomorrow morning you’ll be on a flight Disney World. I hope the trip is as magical as you are. Happy Birthday!

Love, Mom