Happy 5th Birthday Lexi-lou!

Dear Lexi,

This weekend, you turn five years old. Five seems like such a significant age to me – no longer a little kid, but so much closer to a big kid. You have absolutely thrived this past year in Junior Kindergarten – making new friends, finding your voice, learning to read (yesterday your teacher sent home a Level C book, along with a note that she was so proud of you, and how you were reading with an SK group! In fact, a volunteer in your classroom told me a couple of weeks ago that you were the most advanced JK reader in the class).

While you have grown and matured (physically and mentally!), which is a pleasure to watch, your personality remains the same. You have always been this wonderful mix of feisty and easy-going, princess and hurricane, rough-and-tumble in a party dress, sweet and sassy – and we love you for it. 

You insist on wearing pretty dresses most days, but come home from school absolutely covered in dirt and mud and grass and leaves. You climb trees and run laps and dig through dirt and collect snails, but love watching Barbie and tween music shows and wearing an insane amount of sparkly jewellery, with painted nails and lipstick on. Your voice hasn’t changed, and your gorgeous curly hair continues to grow and amaze all the people around you. You say you don’t like your curly hair, and love when I straighten it, which breaks my heart. I know the feeling of wanting what you don’t have (I always wished my hair was straight when I was younger too), but your hair is so special and unique and fun and it makes you who you are. I hope you don’t insist on straightening it daily when you get older – I want you to embrace it just like you embrace the rest of your personality, just like all the people around you love and cherish every last bit of you.

Happy birthday my feisty little hurricane – thank you for always glowing brightly and being the best snuggler, teeth-brusher, tree-climber and grumpy-face sleeper around.

Love,

Mama