Now We Are Six

When I was One, I had just begun.

When I was Two, I was nearly new.
When I was Three, I was hardly me.
When I was Four, I was not much more.
When I was Five, I was just alive.
But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.
A.A. Milne

Dear Shelby,

You are now six years old and practically perfect in every way! You are excited about school and learning to read. You try to read any word you see now, and when we are driving in the car you always spell words you see to ask me what the word is. You let me read books to you at night before you go to bed and that makes me so happy because I love reading and hope you will to. You always try to find words you know in the stories we read. We read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and a few Junie B. Jones stories this last month. We just started reading Charlotte's Web and I look forward to reading all my favorite books, especially Anne of Green Gables with you.

For some reason since kindergarten started you have been playing with boys. It started with Charlie R., then it was Jake, and then Beck from kids club. Luke has been your consistent friend all along. Yesterday for your birthday two boys from your class brought you presents. You have not really made any new girl friends at kindergarten, but thats OK because you already have tons of nice girl friends to keep you busy and happy.

You have grown confident this last year and more outgoing. Monday at cotillion you walked up to a group of girls you did not know to ask if you could play with them. When they did not hear you, you did not run back to me but you asked them again if you could play and then had fun playing hide & seek with them for the next hour. I was so proud of you for being brave and walking up to an unfamiliar group. You never would have done that last year.

You still love to eat! When you were born the nurse brought you to me immediately after you were cleaned up so you could eat - she thought you seemed very hungry! You have been an eater ever since. It worries me because I don't want you to be overweight, but you love food. You love healthy food, you love adult food, and you love the cafeteria at school! I love going out to lunch with you and sharing our favorite foods at Rubios and El Pollo Loco.

You started playing soccer and swimming competitively this year and you are definitely an athlete! You train hard and never complain about swim workouts. Your soccer coach calls you a tiger on the field. My favorite thing to see is that you always run over to congratulate your soccer teammates and give them a big hug when anyone scores a goal. You are a great team player!

You are a sweet little girl and very kind. You have a lot of empathy, especially for me. Whenever the boys in our house are speaking unkindly to me you always come over to me and quietly ask me if I am OK. You hesitate to leave me to go on play dates, not because you are scared to leave me, but because you are worried I will be lonely while you are gone. I love and appreciate all the kindness you give to me and others. Yesterday at school you saw a girl in your class who was standing off by herself scared to line up for class. You walked over to her and took her hand and led her into the line next to you so she would feel comfortable. I was so proud of you. I hope you always stay the kind sweet girl you are today.

Up until the last few days the first thing you would do every morning when you would wake up was to come and find me. It would make me so happy to know that I was the first thing you wanted to see every morning. But you are getting older now and more independent. Very soon the days will be gone when I am the last thing you want to see at night before you go to bed and the first thing you want to see in the morning. I will miss that, but always cherish the memories of when I was the apple of your eye. When I put you to be every night there is nothing in your bed but you. But every morning I find that one of your dolls has made its way into your bed during the night to snuggle with you. I love that you still have that little girl inside you.

I wish you could stay six for ever and ever, but I know you are going to grow. I hope you continue to grow into a young woman who is confident, caring, and kind and always loves her mommy! I love you Goosey Girl!

All my love,

Mom