November 13, 2012

Dear Blake,

Today you turn 5 years old. FIVE. YEARS. OLD. (pause for dramatic effect).


Will I ever get used to you growing up? I see pictures of you from when you were 3 and think, YES, that's my little girl...then I look at you and you've grown so much, and look every bit your 5 years....not 3. I often ask you to please stay 4. Last week we were snuggling on the couch, just you and me. Kate already in bed, Daddy working on a project. And I was in awe of how much I love you. I asked again if you could just not turn 5, because that's too old. You assured me you were ready to be 5, then promised me you would snuggle me no matter how old you were. (You also pinky promised to always live with us..)


You are such a precious, loving girl. You randomly tell me you love me, that you love Kate and think she cute, that we are the "perfect parents just for you." But YOU, my little love are the perfect little girl just for us. It's funny because we all know that you and I have brown eyes and Daddy and Kate have blue eyes. We had a conversation that went like this:

You: Hey Mom. Kate and Daddy have blue eyes. I want blue eyes, too.

Me: Well, what about me (meaning, hey, I like it that our eyes are brown.)

You: It's ok Mommy, you can have blue eyes too.

Burn. But I hope you grow up know you are beautiful beautiful beautiful. I look at your little dimples and bobbed hair cut (we'll touch on that in a minute) and wouldn't change one thing about you. But what's most important to me is that you are STUNNING on the inside. You share easily, you protect Kate and other friends that are with us (because you always want friends around), you are genuinely kind and compassionate. That's what I'm proud of.



Thanksgiving is coming up and so today I asked you what you were most thankful for, and honest to goodness without any prompting you replied "God and his people."
 

On our way out of preschool today we saw your teacher loading her car up and you said “Mom, I didn’t know teachers had cars!!!” 


You take care of your sister in ways that surprise me.  I have to remind myself that you aren’t in charge of her and to give you a break!  You are a big help to me sweet girl.  You keep Kate busy if I’m in the middle of something.  You like to help clean up the house and make dinner.  You even fold laundry with me. 
 

So earlier this year you and your cousin were playing at our house....and to make a dramatic event as nondramatic as I can I'll just say you two cut all each other's hair off. 4 months later we still take an extra 10 minutes every morning to make sure your hair lays smooth. Come ask me and I'll give you the dramatic version, ha!


You LOVE dresses. You love fancy, frilly, pink dressy dresses. And dress-up! Oh my you love dress up. Sometimes you'll play with blocks and want to build things, but 99% of the time you want to play dress up! We had our new neighbors over (they are boys ages 3 and 5) and lo and behold if they weren't in dresses within 15 minutes of being at our house.


You can write all your letters and count to 20.  You love to sing the songs you know in the car.  Your favorite song right now is “You are Savior” by Laura Story.  Your favorite colors are gold and silver.  Your favorite TV show is Wild Kratts.   Your favorite food is pizza.  We just raised the training wheels a little on your bike and you can’t wait to practice without them.  Your favorite fruit is apples, veggie is carrots.

If I had my way, I’d keep you four.  Crazy, I know.  But hopefully you’ll remember this year and how much fun we had.  How you would spend hours coloring princesses with pretty dresses, with the background always blue sky and green grass.  I hope you remember the fun we had with all your friends:  sleepovers, staying after preschool at the playscape,  riding bikes and scooters with the neighbors, swimming this summer.  I hope you remember snapshots and you someday miss being 4 too. 

You have my whole heart Lindsay Blake. 

I’ll never give up on you.  I will always be your biggest biggest fan, because I think you are amazing. 

Love you forever,

Mommy