Happy Birthday Angel!

Dear Angel,

How is it possible that you are 6 years old already? Slow down! It truly seems like just yesterday when I was rubbing my protruding belly in anticipation of your birth. SO much has changed

since you came into my life, and I am truly the better for it. Between you and me, I SO miss, and often long for, the days when it was just you and me. What fun we had!

I love you, my darling girl. I feel that sometimes I don't tell/show you that enough - so I am working on that. I struggle between worrying that I am expecting too much of you, versus expecting so much because you are so amazing and capable. You seem so wise beyond your 6 years, so I must constantly remind myself that you are still a little girl. You often help remind me when you come out in your pjs with a binkie in your mouth and say you want to 'play baby'

or when you come to me and say "I need a snuggle!" How can I resist such a precious little one as you?

I LOVE this! Christmas morning you received a pair of goggles in your stocking - then you disappeared for a moment and came back like this. Hilarious!

Though you love to be pampered, you also enjoy helping others. If anyone is ever hurt or sad, you are the first to do whatever you can to comfort them. When I was sick a few weeks ago, you made a little 'bed' of pillows and blankets on the couch, set the side table with a book and drink, and even went so far as to draw me a card saying "I'm sorry you're sick Mommy! I hope you feel better soon!" and then helped get the other children breakfast so I could rest. What an Angel you are!

You have made it through a lot this past year; our big move and starting school were both exciting at first, but have been the most difficult on you. Even though you love change, you also embrace consistency! But you have made lots of new friends, and even though you dearly miss your distant family, you love spending time with our own little family!

At the moment you often resist going to school because you miss me. But you enjoy playing with your friends, and you are excelling in your work - your teacher has had to come up with a new curriculum to keep you busy because you were bored with what everyone else was doing. You are an incredible reader and you love math. But your favorite activity is art. You could (and do!) spend hours writing notes, drawing/painting/coloring pictures, and creating masterpieces. I'm sure our walls would be covered at least a dozen times over if I kept everything you created! (Fortunately you allow me to selectively save and share some.) You also have an incredibly memory; you have long since memorized all of the Articles of Faith, and now that we are working on memorizing The Living Christ, you've got it down better than I do!

You love being silly. You and Grins can laugh for hours on end (when you aren't tormenting one another, of course.) You love telling jokes and your laughter can be heard for miles, it seems. You have a very contagious laugh and if you're happy, you do all you can to help others be happy as well.

Right now we are working on 'responsibility'. You seem to have many emerging strengths and talents but work is not an interest of yours at the moment. You are constantly asking why you must get yourself dressed/clear your own dish at dinner/pick up the toys you've played with/do "SO much work" when you would much rather stay in your pajamas all day, play to your heart's content, and have someone follow you around cleaning up after you. You just cannot fathom why you should be required to lift a finger. Though frustrating, it is actually quite comical. But you care so well for your baby dolls and little siblings, and take such pride in the work that you DO complete, that I have hope for you yet!

You are such a little sweetheart. So strong-willed (you've been called "bossy" which you did NOT appreciate....) and yet so sensitive. So determined, and yet, at other times, so timid. So confident while sometimes insecure. It is so much fun to watch your personality grow and develop. You are so much fun to be around! It is such a privilege and blessing to be your mother. Thank you for the honor of these past 6 years. I can't wait to see what the next 6 will bring!

I love you with all my heart, Angel Girl!

Love,

Mom

6 yr old "stats":

Favorite color(s): Pink and purple. And rainbow.

Favorite food: chicken nuggets and artichokes

Favorite dessert: ice cream or cookies or cake or pretty much anything sweet

Favorite book: I love all books.

Favorite 'things': butterflies, fairies, babies, dolls, horses, rainbows, hearts, flowers

Favorite things to do: write and draw, read, dance, play babies and house, watch movies

Favorite friends: Sophia, Emma, Mattie, Chloe, Claire, Anja, James and sometimes Isabelle

Favorite people: mom, dad, Grins and sometimes Wiggles

What do you want to be when you grow up? An astronaut, a petrinarian (a person that has a LOT of pets), or a Dr. that delivers babies. Or a dancer. And a mom, of course.