To The Birthday Girl (Yearly Update)

 Leah Bean,

You are FIVE years old!? Where has the time gone? This week a TV channel is playing every Simpsons episode ever made. As I was watching the episode where Montgomery Burns steals all of Santa's Little Helper's puppies came on. I remembered that Daddy and I watched that episode the night I went into labor. It was probably one of the last times I watched a Simpson's episode. I remember waking up in labor and just being so excited to finally meet my baby. Five years later, and I really don't have a baby any more. I have a silly, sassy, full of opinions, excitable, cuddly, loving girl (though I always tell you that you will always be my baby).

This has been a big summer for you. This summer you finished out your preschool program and are set to begin Young Five's Kindergarten. You tell me often that you are feeling a little nervous. You are worried about going to school every day. You've wondered several times why we all just can't stay home all the time. You met your teacher yesterday, though, and seemed incredibly excited.

You love to read. This summer you began to carefully read along with Daddy or I and correct any slight mistake that we might make. Right now you love The Bernstein Bear books, Splat that Cat, nonfiction books about puppies and kittens, and Frozen books.

You remain one of the pickiest eaters I have ever know. I switched up from the brand of apple juice that we usually buy this summer. One sip of it and you loudly proclaimed, "This tastes different! Where is the regular apple juice?!" You love almost all fruit, "Spanish bread" (an English muffin) with peanut butter, pretzels and hummus, pesto pizza and noddles, cheese (especially colby jack), chicken nuggets and fries, popcorn, and ice cream.

You love to dance and do gymnastics. You frequently get in trouble for jumping off the couch, over a chair, over your sister... You also love to climb. You elected to do another year of ballet when I told you that if you did jazz (what you originally wanted me to sign you up for) you had to wear jazz shorts and not a tutu. You love to go to the neighborhood pool, but remain terrified of learning to swim. We've taken some baby steps this summer though, and you are starting to warm up to doing some gliding and are becoming more comfortable with getting your face wet. You love to ride your bike in the evening and take food to the ducks. You throw the bread with a combination of jumping, flailing your arms, and twisting around.

You have a lot of opinions about your clothing. I now show you everything before I buy it, because I will sometimes get some flat out "no's" to what I try to dress you in. You would wear a dress everyday if you could. You don't like to wear "play clothes", and will lobby hard to only wear the "play clothes" for the specific thing you need to wear them for (i.e. school), and then ask to change into something "fancier". You still love "twirly" dresses the best. One of the last activities you did on your last day of preschool was to give every friend a compliment. The teacher wrote every one down, so each kid got a list of 15 compliments. Many of yours focused on your clothing and fashion choices (though you still got plenty of "nice's" and "She is my friend", too).

You are a born negotiator and often offer a counter proposal to whatever Daddy or I ask you to do. I love when you take a deep breath, shake your head, and say, "How about this...." You have been working hard this summer earning chores. Yesterday you got a Frozen tumbler and you were pretty thrilled with how the chores you do translate into things you want. You are next working for a Doc McStuffins book. You are a hard worker. I can always trust you to put everything back where it belongs.

You love TV. It is by far your biggest vice. We got really good this summer with really limiting your TV. You love Curious George, Paw Patrol, Dora and Friends into the City, and Doc McStuffins. You love movies, too. Your favorites are all of the Back to the Future movies (a local theater played a Throwback Thursday showing of Back to the Future III and you were so excited to go!), Home Alone movies, Harry Potter movies, and Pixar/Disney movies. One of your favorite things is Friday and Saturday nights when we have "movie nights" as a family. You love having us all together on the couch watching a family movie. I will be so sad when you grow and are more excited to go out with your friends on Fridays and Saturdays.

You love to travel and visit new places. We can always count on you to be a rock star. You read and entertain yourself on airplanes and long drives. You love to see new things and go new places.

You have a very special relationship with Juliet. You two are obviously best friends (though there are also plenty of times where you say, "I just need to play alone, now!"). You love to play Mommy and boss Juliet around. You love to pick her up (awkwardly) and carry her around. You two play this puppy game where you both bark annoyingly and the other one offers "treats" and "pets". You love to share Juliet's toys, but hate to share your own. Juliet knows just how to push your buttons (taking away a toy and saying she won't give it back, to scream loudly, or to sing over you when you are singing), and will often make you cry in frustration. You both love to dress up like princesses. You get into arguments over the best Frozen character.

We celebrated your fifth birthday with a trip to Olga's (standard) and to get a cupcake. You and I also went out for a manicure and to pick out a birthday balloon. For your present, you got a Puppy Surprise (which you love!) some new books, and a puzzle. You were thrilled.

We love you so, so much!