Six Years Old

June 13,2009

Dear Hailey,

Today you are six years old. This morning as your daddy was busy making you breakfast in bed, we sat in my bed talking. At your request I told you the story of the day before and the day of your birth. I love that story. I love remembering every bit of it from the nervousness of going into the hospital to holding you the next night. All alone for the first time and drinking in your loveliness.

It’s hard sometimes for me to remember that tiny baby as I look at you now. Your knobby knees, always with a scrape on them from some adventure. Your gappy smile. Your erratic, frizzy, mind of its own hair.

This year you’ve done so much. You completed your first year of school in Kindergarten. Your teacher, Mrs. Reiber, was wonderful and you made her laugh all the time. You’ve learned to read. Gone are the days that Dad and I can spell things to each other so that you don’t know what we’re saying. We tried to start spelling them backward, but now you’ve even figured that out. You’re even reading two years above grade average. You’ve dabbled in some acting. You danced on competition team, taking us with you every Saturday ALL DAY. After your first trophy you were about done with it yourself. You’ve started Art Lessons and you love your swimming lessons. Daddy and I teach your primary class. We moved this year and you were a champ about it. You are especially enjoying our new yard that is completely fenced in so you can play outside all the time. You lost your first tooth. When you told me it was loose I acted so happy for you and then had to leave the room and cry in my closet. You’re growing up so fast. You think you know it all and have become little miss bossy around the house. You adore your sister and she adores you. Nothing is mine anymore. Once as I was looking in your backpack to send you off to school I found my diary from when I was 13 years old inside. I asked you why you had it and you said, “I took it to school for show and tell. Oh and by the way, Mrs. Reiber says that while this is interesting reading material, I’m not allowed to read it to the class for show and tell anymore.” I was mortified!

You keep us all on our toes and fill our lives with so much happiness and adventure. We love having you in our family, our sweet Hailey.

Your sixth birthday started with breakfast in bed made by daddy aka “Chef Pierre” and his sidekick “Chef Stinkypants,” Libby. Heart shaped pancakes, 2 kinds of jam, and 3 drinks. We then picked up your friend Elisa and went to get pedicures and to the Peppermint Place for treats. All day long the phone rang with Happy Birthday phone calls. Grammy, Morgan, Auntie Erin, and Aunt Sarah wanted to say Happy Birthday to you! Grandma, Grandpa and Great Grandpa came over for cake and ice cream (Rob and Erin will come tomorrow for cake!) then we headed off for a fun dinner at Tepanyaki. Dad and I didn’t watch the chef cooking at our table. We couldn’t take our eyes off of you. You were so cute and excited. What a fun time! We ended the day watching the giant Thunderstorm on the porch, Dad held Libby and I held you. It was the best part of the day.

Happy Birthday Sweet Hailey. I love being your mom.

XOXO,
Mommy