letter to my daughter

A Letter to My Youngest for her 5th Birthday

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Yes, 2 love/kid centered posts in a row because I didn’t want to get TOO behind on this tradition of open letters to my kids so…you get a little break from this theme next month before my final kiddo has his birthday letter and then we should be good to go for the rest of the year! But in the meantime… Continue reading →

A Letter to My Oldest Daughter for her 8th Birthday

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My wonderful, strong, sassy, hilarious, confident middle child,

Your letter this year is coming a bit late this year, I hope you’ll forgive me. Life moves fast nowadays, and there is a lot of chaos in our house and in the world. I am so grateful for the way you impact our family. You are so helpful both at home and at school. You have strong math skills. You refuse to comply just because. You can be as stubborn, precise, and persistent as your mother and as goofy and unpredictable as your father. You ask so many good questions like “Why does spelling have to be so complicated? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does God let people get sick? Can We learn Spanish together?” Occasionally when you don’t like something someone has said you growl at them, and I honestly hope this is a trait you keep because the world needs more women who will growl at nonsense instead of entertaining it.

This past year included growing in your swimming skills, running your first official trail race (with me! a favorite memory from last year!), playing the role of Mother Pig in the school play of “The Three Piggy Opera” as well as performing in some summer theatre camps. When your catechesis class sang carols for the church during Advent you wondered why other people didn’t “memorize their lines” even though you were told you could all hold your music during the singing. You also reprised your Taylor Swift time in the school talent show.

You still love Taylor Swift, but your new favorite music is the soundtrack to Wicked. You confident told us after the first time you watched it “I’m magical and awesome like Elphaba… only with all the friends Glinda has. I don’t know why they are setting it up like you have to be one or the other” and that really sums up your current view on life, something that has remained steady since the earliest open letters to you that I’ve shared with the world0 you embody the phrase “she can be both” and are not interested in being limited by other people’s opinions of you. Sometimes, this can exhaust your dad and I. But most of the time it makes us so proud. They say in general in our society that girls’ confidence plummets starting around age 8 so my wish for you this year is that you hold on to this confidence and that it remains genuine. I hope that you keep using that confidence to lift others up and call out when you see things that seem unfair or don’t make sense. I love how you use your voice AND you listen. You notice so much.

I love you so much and I learn so much from you. Thank you for all the at home “spa days” you treat me to after long runs. Thank you for being our resident fashion consultant. Thank you for carrying on my legacy of hot sauce on popcorn and begging for potatoes for breakfast. Thank you for standing your ground and standing up for others. Thank you for all the joy you bring to our home and the way that radiates outside our home.

I am wishing you an amazing time being 8 years old. I love you to the moon and to Saturn.

Mom

A Letter to My Youngest as she starts Preschool

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The second installment in my “I forgot to post birthday letters on time this year but at least I made notes about it in their birthday books” series… my youngest starts preschool this week and so I thought I would formalize and share her annual letter for the occasion just like I did with my middle kid when she started Kindergarten earlier this month. Continue reading →

An Open Letter to my Daughter for her 5th Birthday

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So… my oldest daughter’s birthday was actually back toward the beginning of the year… but things were so hectic with returning to school and illness and me introducing my themes for the year here on the blog that, while I wrote her a birthday letter, I didn’t ever end up making it an “open letter” here and it’s actually one of my favorite traditions to share in these little ways about my kids, so the start of a new school year seemed like a good time to share away. So while this was originally written as a letter for her 5th birthday, I’ve actually updated it a bit and turned it into an open letter to her as she starts kindergarten… Continue reading →

A Letter to my Daughter for her Third Birthday

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Sweet Girl,
I can’t believe you are now three years old. Somehow I simultaneously feel like there’s no way that much time could possibly have passed since your birth, and other days I can’t believe how bright and talkative you are for only having lived three years.

You started preschool this year and have loved this transition. You are going two days a week and clearly wish it was more as you STILL try to run into your brother’s class when it isn’t your school day. You love talking about what you learned and showing me your art projects. You have so much to say but still are hesitant to talk in big groups, preferring smaller interactions.

You also started gymnastics this year and you LOVE talking about the different jumps you practice there and how you want to practice your balance beam. You look forward to gymnastics day all week. That’s not the only physical fitness you are interested in- you have become OBSESSED with hiking and were very upset during the hot months of the summer when we didn’t go- you would ask almost every day and were so excited when the weather cooled off enough for us to hit the trails again. You transitioned from hiking with mom in a baby carrier to insisting you are a hiker that can walk on her own. You can rock out several miles of trail and are fearless when tackling the steep, rocky parts of a trail. Sometimes this makes me a little nervous, but mostly it makes me super proud and I have loved our one on one hikes the past year. You even asked to have your classmates join you for a hike for your birthday instead of inviting them to a party which probably would have been overwhelming for you.

You have continued to find your voice this year- your vocabulary continues to blow us away and you have learned that sometimes you have to be as loud as you brother to get a word in. This has made our household a lot louder, but also even more entertaining. Your dad and I love hearing you and your brother sing together in the morning or tell each other stories. You love playing pretend with him, whether that is creating tea parties or dressing up as Elsa or giving us all doctor check ups.

Other things about this past year: Your most common phrases are “Can I just try a tiny bite?” “Where is teacher Jen?” and telling people your full name. Your favorite foods are apples, chicken, chips and salsa, and anything mom is eating- it doesn’t count unless it’s on my plate though. You still love picking out your own outfits, especially shoes. Your favorite game is Feed the Woozle. Your preschool teacher has told me on numerous occasions that she is convinced you will one day run a small country. You are obsessed with sunglasses.

I am so excited for this new year- not only because I know you will keep learning so much as a three year old, but because you are so excited about being a big sister and I can’t wait to see you officially meet your little sister. Each morning you come and kiss my belly and tell her good morning and ask when she’s going to come out and play. It should be less than a month until that happens- your wait is almost over!

I want you to know as you become the middle child that you will always be so unique and special to us. I promise we will still have one on one dates, that I will listen to your stories and questions, and that I will continue to treasure what makes you unique from your siblings (Don’t forget that! Even as I express the love I have seeing the things you have in common!)

 

I love you so much and wish I could slow down time just a little to enjoy you all the more.

❤

Mom