I can hardly believe tonight is your last night as a ten year old – I know I say this every year but the time has just gone way too fast. I remember coming home from the hospital with you like it was yesterday. This last year was a challenging one – you just completed your fourth grade year which was entirely via zoom due to the Covid pandemic. You guys did get to spend the last couple months back on campus but had to wear masks and keep distanced from your friends. Despite the challenges you finished the year with perfect grades like normal – you are a very smart, dedicated student and are always on top of your work. You also love to read like your mama and most nights I have to tell you a few times that it’s time to put your book away and go to sleep. Your favorites are graphic novels like Dog Man and Wimpy Kid and you love Minecraft and Pokemon books as well. You just finished your first season of majors for baseball and your team did very well and you’re looking forward to starting soccer in a couple months. You still enjoy playing drums and guitar and are taking keyboard this summer also.
Movies and video games top your favorite things to do list as well as playing with your cousins and playdates with your friends at Dave and Busters, Lamppost, etc. You and your sister are both thrilled that most places have opened back up and you’re able to see your friends again. We had a laser tag party with a few of your friends last week and it was so nice to see you guys running around and playing after being separated for over a year. You also love hanging at grandma and papa’s house and have declared that grandma’s is your favorite restaurant lol. She rotates your favorites for dinner the nights we are there and you love it. For the most part you are a great big brother – Ellie is with you at camp for the first time this year and you have been helping her find her way around and feel comfortable. You two love playing video games together as well and you are pretty patient with her. I love watching your relationship develop and I am happy you will have each other as you grow up.
I cannot tell you how proud I am of how you have handled the last year and a half – navigating our new family dynamic during a pandemic and while being out of your normal routine and separated from your friends cannot have been easy but you have stayed strong and good-natured and kept your sense of humor through it all. I love the intelligent, sweet young man you are growing into and I can’t wait to see what life has in store for you. I love you so much and Happy Birthday to the boy that made me a mama <3
Love,
Mama
Today was your last day as a five year old – you have been talking about your birthday non-stop for months now and are so excited for your dinner tomorrow and drive-by party on Sunday. I know the drive-by party isn’t exactly what you had in mind but I know you will be happy to see your friends even if it’s just for a few minutes. There have been some huge changes in your life this year – in our lives – and you have adjusted fairly well. You are so smart and mature and not afraid to show your feelings – you “love hard” and I could not be prouder of the strong little girl you’re turning into. Though your sassy mouth drives me crazy sometimes I know your strong personality will take you far in life. I can’t wait to see what you grow up to do and be but I wish the time would slow down just a bit.
Some of your favorite things these days include playing Barbies, teaching school, watching your ipad, playing Roblox and Minecraft online with your brother and cousins, dressing up and adding as many accessories as possible, putting on makeup, painting your nails – you love pretty much anything super girly unlike your mama lol. You have just started getting into American Girl and I see lots of trips to the store in our future. Grandma is probably your favorite person these days – she will always stop what she is doing to play with you and you two are the best of friends. You are in kinder this year and while it looks much different than we expected you are enjoying it anyhow and doing well with the long days. You have the same teacher your brother had and she runs a tight ship which is exactly what you need. You doing your online school at Papa’s while mama and dada work and he is enjoying kinder too! You continue to prefer snacking to eating meals and tend to graze all day. You are a picky eater and like only a handful of things which makes it hard to pack your lunches. Lovie continues to be your constant companion though he has to stay in the other room during school. You lost your first two teeth in the last few months and were excited for tooth fairy visits – of course you wanted to head right to Target to spend your money. You became quite the little swimmer this summer as well practicing every weekend in dada’s pool.
Watching you grow into your own little person has been such a joy. I cannot imagine a world without you in it. You make me laugh and smile every single day. I love you so much Ellie girl.