Travelingjenny

To my sunshine,

You have been so excited to turn five. You have been saying, "When I'm five, I'm going to be able to reach that without standing on my tippy toes," or "I won't need your help carrying this when I'm five." Of course, I am in no hurry for you to grow older, because I thoroughly enjoy you just the way you are this very minute. You are sweet, kind, and helpful. You are encouraging and cheerful, and you have a smile that makes my heart do flip-flops. You freely give me hugs and kisses, and never want me to leave at bedtime. You love your sister — she's your favorite playmate — and whenever you get a special treat, you are sure to save one for her, too. You pay attention and remember everything, like what we need to buy at the grocery store (I am very grateful for this). You are my little buddy, and you say that even when you are grown up and can live by yourself, you'll still want to live with me. You have suddenly grown very tough, and when you fall down, you pick yourself back up again and keep going. You like to be with your school friends, and to follow all of the rules. You love to swim, scooter, and ride your bike and dance and put on shows. You have really good ideas about things, like wondering why the road below us is still called a highway if we're driving above it. I know that soon enough you'll be running headfirst into the world around you, and I'm very glad that for now, you still like to hold my hand.

For all of this, thank you. Happy Birthday.

I love you with all of my heart,
Mommy