six

Dear Liliana,

Today you turn six years old. You’ve been excited about your sixth birthday since April 25 of last year. You love your birthday more than anyone I know and you don’t have low expectations. I stayed up past midnight last night decorating the house for you. I hope you love it.

You love to love, my girl. Yesterday you came home from school and told me that you kissed a boy because you loved him so much you even might invite him to your birthday party. Your daddy had a little chat with you during your bath, though, about the whole kissing-boys thing.

Your favourite thing in the whole world to do is play with your big sister. Heaven forbid she says no, you will badger her till you’re blue in the face.

I love it when the two of you get along. When you get into that groove where you play for hours on end. You two played outside for a while today for the first time in a very long time. I hope the weather allows you many more days like today.

You also love to play with your brother. You’ve been working really hard on learning how to play well with the boys, and they love to follow you around the house, and have races with strollers with you.

You’re smart, Liliana. You were already reading when you were three, and you’re flying through kindergarten with ease. You’ve got a lot to learn in other areas, though, and I’m so glad that you love school as much as you do.

You have more energy than anyone I’ve met. Yesterday you did 100 push-ups in a row. Sometimes you run in circles around the living room over and over just because you’ve got energy to burn. If I ask you to go somewhere 10 feet away, you will do 300 squiggles and turns to get there taking the longest route possible.

You love to show people affection and you love to snuggle. Hugs are your favourite thing, and you will hug anyone who lets you. You will not let anyone leave the house, family or not, without a hug and a kiss on the cheek. And a blow-kiss through the window.

You are creative. You love to colour and make crafts, and you especially love to make things for others. You can turn any object into a toy; you carried around a coat hanger for more than a year, pretending it was a rocket ship.

You make me laugh, a lot. The words and phrases that come out of your mouth, there’s just no way one could make them up. You always speak your mind, and I think that this is a good thing. Most of the time.

You are unique, Liliana. Your pre-kindergarten teacher told me once, “That girl has more personality in her pinky finger than ten other people combined.” Nothing could be more true.

Happy sixth birthday, you little goober. I love you.

Love,
Mama