birthday letter

Dear Harriet, Age 5

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Dear, sweet Harriet,

And today you are five. How did that happen? You’re five, and you’ll be starting kindergarten in a couple weeks. My girl, I will miss you while you’re at school. We’ve been a team for the past few years, first while you were waiting to go to preschool, and last year as you were waiting to go to elementary school.  Now it’s your turn, and I’ll be on my own. While I’ll enjoy the time to myself, don’t get me wrong, I’ll also miss our time of just the two of us.

This morning, before people were up, I sneaked into your room to see if you were awake. You were, and I got to be the first person to wish you a happy birthday. You said you were just waiting in bed because nobody else was awake yet. We talked about what it was like 5 years ago today, with the two of us working together to look into each other’s eyes. That was a special day, and I’ll tell you about it every year until you understand it.

This year has been a big, fun one for you. You have learned so much, and worked so hard, especially on your speech. I’ve been going with you to your speech lessons this summer, and I’ve been impressed with your grit. You try and try and try. Sometimes you get it, sometimes you don’t, but I haven’t seen you give up. You are still creative and imaginative. You come up with the coolest things – like Paperland, and all the other lands that you can travel between. You still love your ooh-aahs and bears – sometimes you forget them at home, but luckily they can always find their way to you. You have real magic – you can see through things, and you’re really a wicked witch (but I wasn’t supposed to hear you tell Alma that one). You like mermaids, unicorns, and all things magical. You also like poop, toots, shake booty, and all things potty talk.

I hope that you stay just as curious and creative as you are now (or grow even more curious and creative!).  I hope you make great new friends who will last your whole life. I hope you learn new things – like how to read – and that you find joy in them. I hope you still want to cuddle and sleep on my lap. I hope that you are brave. I hope that you are strong. I hope that you resist what you know is wrong. I hope that you fight for what is right. I hope that you feel loved, greatly, every single day that you’re five.

Because you are loved greatly.

I love you, my sweet Hattie Girl.

All my love,
Mommy

Dear Alma, Age 6

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Dearest Alma,

Five was a fun one.  Probably my favorite.  I loved how you were so curious and eager to learn all you could.  I loved seeing your confidence grow.

These past few months have been a little hard.  You didn’t have the easiest transition to kindergarten. I think it was hard for you to go from a play-based-three-hour-a-day-three-days-a-week preschool to full-on full day kindergarten. Adding the Spanish made for some long days of listening and working hard, just to understand.  But, these past few months have also shown us that you have some grit!  You haven’t given up, and you are actually, honest-to-God learning Spanish.  You amaze me when you hear Spanish and actually understand it – or when you come up with a word and use it the right way.  You are constantly correcting my accent, and I couldn’t be happier.  Your brain is a little sponge, and you’re soaking it all up.

You also recently lost your first teeth.  On Christmas Eve, late at night, when you should have been sleeping, you had Daddy pull your first tooth.  It kind of freaked you out to see the blood, but on Christmas, you were ready to have Dad pull the second one.  Your adult teeth had already grown in, so you didn’t have a gap-tooth smile.

Six will also be fun.  We have some fun things planned for you, my girl.  Six will be the year you learn so many new things – you’re taking piano lessons, you’ll probably start reading, you’ll learn more Spanish, you’ll get even better at swimming and diving.  Six will be the year that Harriet joins you at your school (I’m looking forward to that one!).  Six will be a year of trips and adventures.  I can’t wait to see what six will bring to you.

I love you, sweet bug.  You’re my girl, and you always will be.

All my love,
Mommy

Dear Harriet, Age Four

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Dear Harriet,

I love this blurry photo of us for a few reasons.  First, I’m in it with you and I think it’s important that I get in the shot too, sometimes.  Second, just look at your sweet smile.  We were camping here, and girl, do you love camping.  You love exploring and running and playing and sleeping and swimming and building and s’mores.

This past year has been a doozy.  You definitely followed the trend of three-year-olds being difficult and stubborn.  You showed your opinion quite clearly, to say the least.  You only wanted me to help you and cuddle you and read to you and carry you – dad just wouldn’t do.  You wouldn’t eat anything that wasn’t exactly what you wanted.  You wanted what you wanted and you wanted it when you wanted it.  And it was hard.  Three was hard.

Luckily, the last couple months of three, things started to change.  You started to ask for daddy before me.  You became more flexible and less frustrating.  Thank you so much for that.  Really, Harriet, thank you for that.

Right now you are so much fun.  You are funny and creative.  You fiercely love the people in your life.  You have strong connections with people and are incredibly loyal.  You have changed from being stubborn to being strong (it’s an important difference to note).  I love to hear your opinions and your ideas.  You are so brave and are always willing to try new things, usually with a bit of gentle encouragement.  Last year you were scared to get your face wet, this year you’re swimming without your floaties and going down the big slide at the pool.  Last year you wouldn’t try your balance bike, this year you’re almost ready for pedals.

Four years ago, you were born on a Blue Moon.  Today, we will witness a full solar eclipse.   The planets have aligned.  I’ve always loved the moon, and since you were born four years ago, I’ve loved it even more with the connection between your birth and the moon.  Today we will stand in the moon’s shadow.  I think there is something to this, my girl.  You are my little moon girl and you were born to do great, big things.

Next year we will be getting ready for kindergarten.  But for today, and for this year, I want you to stay my little child, my baby.  No need to rush things, my Hattie Girl.  No need to stop sleeping in my arms.  No need to stop asking for my help.  Ne need to run too far or climb too high.

You are my girl and I love you to the moon and back a million times.

All my love,
Mommy

Dear Alma, On Your Fifth Birthday

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Dear Alma,

Today you’re five.   Today is one of those thresholds.  You are entering a whole new stage of life.  Five is a big year.  Five is kindergarten, loose teeth, reading, school buses, bikes with pedals, new friends, long days away from home, writing.  Five is big.

Yesterday you were four and you were still a small little child.  Today you are five and you look like a whole new girl to me.  I have to be honest and say that my heart hurts a little bit when I look at you.  You are a well-spoken, creative, brave soul.  Not much of that little baby from five years ago remains.  Your legs are long and strong.  Your fingers are precise and careful.  Your eyes are clear and focused.  Your voice is loud and determined.  You are five.

You are growing up quickly and it makes me miss my baby.  But, Alma, I wouldn’t change it for anything.  Those baby days are gone, but I’m so happy about five.  I’m so excited to see all those things happen this year, but you will always be my baby.

My wishes for you this year:

  • You make new friends and keep the old
  • You are the kid in your class who welcomes everyone
  • You learn to read and enjoy it
  • You lose teeth with courage
  • You fall down and you get back up
  • You keep sitting in my lap and coming to me for comfort
  • You have compassion
  • You stand up for people who need it
  • You smile
  • You dance
  • You sing
  • You laugh
  • You know you are deeply and gracefully loved.

Alma, my little love, have fun being five.

All my love,
Mommy

Dear Harriet, Age 2

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Dear Harriet,

Today you turn two.  I am so excited to watch you grow up.

andthenthey harriet camping hikingOne was a fun year.  We got to know your personality so much.  You are growing and changing so quickly.  You are a good sleeper, a good eater, a good dancer, a funny girl.  You can run and jump and play with the best of them.

andthenthey harriet camping watchingOne thing that I love about you is your love of being outside.  We recently took you camping for the first time and you ate it up.  You loved running in the trees, playing in the river, getting dirty, and being free.  When we finally went to bed, you jumped in your crib as if you were asking why we were going to bed.  You could have stayed up all night!

andthenthey harriet camping1You love people.  You love Alma.  You love your grandparents (especially your grandfathers!).  You are a watcher.  You will just sit with your hands in your lap watching what’s happening.  Then you are a doer.  You don’t sit for long before you’re joining in on the action!

andthenthey harriet camping sittingYou love music and dancing.  It makes me so happy to watch your sweet moves.  Your favorite CD is Cross Current and you get upset when there’s a different CD in the player.

andthenthey harriet camping swimmingHarriet, you are so tough.  You’re strong and brave and I am so proud of that.  You stand up for yourself.  But you also care about others.

andthenthey harriet camping smoresYou will start school in a couple weeks and I’m so excited for you.  I know you will love playing with your teachers and making new friends.  I can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will learn to do in the next year.

andthenthey harriet camping2I loved this past school year and all the time we got to spend together, just us.  I loved dropping Alma off at school, and just walking and walking and walking with you.  It was truly a precious time for me.  I am excited for you to start school, but I also am sad because I know that I’ll miss you.  It won’t be the same.

andthenthey harriet camping runningSo, happy birthday, my sweet girl.  One was great, but two will be even better.

I love you I love you I love you,

Your Mommy

andthenthey harriet camping mommy