dear harriet

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 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 Harriet, Age Three

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Dear Harriet, My Three Year Old,

Man, has this been a year?  You started school, you really started talking, you grew and changed and became a little girl.  You have figured out how to fight back – fight back against Alma when she tries to get too older sibling on you, fight back against us when we tell you that you can’t have hot cococo all day everyday, you fight back against injustices on the playground.  People always tell me they’re impressed with your fortitude.  You don’t let people push you around.  You are strong and brave, little one.

 

You are scrappy, and I love that about you.  We are both second-borns, so you and I, kid, understand what it’s like to live that way.  We understand that sometimes it’s important to bug your older sibling until they fight back, then to go running to your parent so the sibling gets in trouble.  But, kid, you need to understand that I see right through it when you do it.  I see right through it, but I still love it because I get you.  I feel you.  All I have to say about it is: sorry Alma (and sorry Dan).

 

But you are also very dear.  One of the things you say all the time these days is, “Excuse me mommy (or Grams, daddy, Papa, Nana, Grandpa, Grammy… whomever).  I wuv you.”  It’s always a surprise because I always assume that you’re going to be asking for more hot cococo, then you turn everything upside-down with your sweetness.  You can tell me that you wuv me all day everyday, that’s fine with me.

 

When you’re into something, you’ll spend so much time with it.  When we went camping, you were all about building the fairy village.  At the playground with your friends, you’ve been known to build very cool towers out of pine cones and sticks, or to fill up a hollow tree with rotten apples (side-note:  rotten apples are your favorite things.  When we tell you to think of something happy, you think about rotten apples) – all the while directing your friends and making sure they’re doing it right.  You’re a leader and creative and I think that’s really cool.

 

Here’s my promise to you this year:  I will cherish you.  I will be gentle with you.  I will be kind to you.  I will love you and I will tell you so everyday.  I will hold you.  I will let you grow.  I will laugh with you.  I will cry with you.  I will cherish you.

All my love,

Mommy