I am a few days late with my annual birthday letter, but we have been non-stop celebrating since last Wednesday. I think we are officially done.
Somehow we are here.
EIGHT YEARS OLD.
You have been counting down the days until your 8th birthday for a few months now. 
While you were excited about your birthday, you were most excited about being out of your booster seat. Because you have pretty much been asking to ditch it for the past year.
When it came to celebrating your birthday, you were very specific about what you wanted to do.
You didn’t want a traditional party. You wanted to go into the city with two friends and spend the day. But you didn’t want your other friends to feel left out, so you asked if we could do a small party at home.
And so we did.
You planned nearly everything by yourself, from handwriting and delivering the invitations to telling me what decorations you wanted where.
A rainbow theme.
Pizza and rainbow cake. Crafts. And done. 
You were equally specific about what you wanted for birthday presents – a comforter for your bed, a new desk chair, colored pencils, and very specific books and coloring books. Choices which completely reflect who you are right now. Chinese food for your birthday dinner, and buttered noodles and soft chocolate chip cookies for celebrating with extended family. 
You continue to have the biggest heart of anyone I know, always thinking of others before yourself.
You are a good friend to those around you, and love FaceTiming.
You love helping me and others, always jumping up to lend a hand.
You take school and your grades very seriously.
You are fiercely independent, but love spending time with those you love most.
You still love animals, and cheer, and hiking and Girl Scouts.
You have mourned the end of the show Jessie, yet are hoarding the 87 episodes of reruns, and also love watching The Profit with me.
You are a voracious reader and take a book with you wherever you go. You also love a good, blank notebook and are always journaling.
You stay up too late because everything has to be ready for the next day, and are not a morning person if I have to wake you, but once you get going, all is right with the world.
Although I’m not ready to have you and your brother grow up quite so fast, I really love seeing the people that you’re becoming, and there is no one else I would rather spend time with than you two.
Happy 8, Monks! We love you!
xoxo
Mom
When she turned seven.
When she turned six.
When she turned five.
When she turned four.
When she turned three.
When she turned two.
When she turned one.
The original “birth” day.
