Dear Mercedes,
This past weekend you turned seven. Happy
birthday! For some reason, I often still picture myself as a mother of ‘little’
kids; probably because we’ve been in the trenches of baby/toddlerhood so long
that it’s hard to picture NOT being in them. But then I stop and realize just
how grown up you are rapidly becoming. The reading, the writing, the reasoning
and math skills, the increasing independence, the lost baby teeth (4 as of
this week!)… it all adds up to one incredibly thoughtful, considerate, funny,
witty, beautiful girl. Not a baby. Not a toddler. Not even a little kid. You
are so quickly on your path to becoming a big kid, and it both thrills me and
breaks my heart a bit.
I love having increasingly complex,
intelligent conversations with you, and reading real novels, and listening to
you discuss the things you are learning in school (last week you created your
own company logo and painted it on a t-shirt – Mercedes’ Fairy Store – for your
media unit). I love that you take care of your brother and sister; letting Lexi
go first with a show, or allowing Holden to convince you to play Lego early on
a Saturday morning, despite your desire to stay snuggled under the covers. I
love playing games with you that are slightly more challenging; Mastermind and
Life and Uno (with the actual rules, not kiddie rules!).
You are such a delight to us all – writing
your own stories, telling jokes, playing with your friends, clearing the dinner
table, enthusiastically doing your homework, and always smiling. We love seeing
your personality develop – creative, thoughtful, sensitive, observant, kind,
and so intuitive sometimes it takes my breath away.
Thank you for being you. And thank you for
always teaching us how to navigate the next stages of our relationship
together. We love learning how to parent a big kid, just as much as you seem to
love becoming one!
Love,
Mama
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