Letter to My Daughter – Happy 6th Birthday!

Six.

You have been counting down the days until your birthday for the past week. Asking how many more days, and then counting down yourself once we got closer. Telling me how excited you were about your birthday and that you couldn’t wait until it was here.

And here we are.

My littlest isn’t so little any more. Although I know all you want to do is be older and grow up, I just want to keep you this age forever. It’s just perfect the way it is. Don’t grow up on me.

So much has changed for you in the last year, and so much has stayed the same.

You have lost your first and second tooth. And you played another year of soccer.

You started spring track, mostly because you wanted to be like your older brother. But we also learned how fast you can really run.

You still love animals, now more than ever. You still want to either be an “animal rescuer or shelter person” or train dolphins. You love Max (your hamster), Charlotte (your pink stuffed animal dog), and our cats and dogs immensely, and always have one within arm’s reach, if not on your lap.

You love “chocolate toast (Nutella on toast)” and would eat it for every meal if I let you, and you love to sing along to the radio. I love listening to you when you sing, but if you catch me, you’ll stop.

The other day, when we were out driving, I turned around to catch a glimpse of you, with your legs daintily crossed, singing quietly with the radio, staring out the window. You caught me looking and asked, “what?” Nothing, I said, wanting to just freeze that moment.

You love your brother and would do anything for him, but hate how he pushes your buttons.

You love sparkle and bling, leggings, short-sleeved shirts, and sweaters.

Your favorite colors, currently, are red, orange, and blue, and you asked for a bouquet of blue balloons for your birthday party with friends last weekend.

You have such a sweet disposition and would do anything for anyone. If you’re up before me, you walk into my bedroom softly singing “Good Morning.” You will often make my bed for me, and always want to help me with dinner. You try your hardest to make me laugh, and will do most anything I ask. You are a rock-star at finding random hearts with me, and hearts are your favorite thing to draw; I see them everywhere, and frequently come to bed to find little notes you’ve left me on my pillow. Notes I am keeping in a book so you can look back on them when you’re older. You love love, just like your mom, and are always looking for ways to do nice things for people.

For dinner tonight, you wanted the exact same thing as last year, pizza and soft chocolate chip cookies at home, and you wanted nothing more than to spend it with your family.

You have a heart of pure gold, and are such a pleasure to be around, even when you’re draped across me as we’re watching tv, and you fall asleep, deadweight so I can’t move. You’re a little girl filled to the brim with positivity and love and I couldn’t imagine our family without you.

Happy Birthday, Monks, we love you.

When she turned five.
When she turned four.
When she turned three.
When she turned two.
When she turned one.
The original “birth” day.