Sweet girl,

How are you already four years old?!?! Life with you has seemed like an eternity & the blink-of-an-eye all at the same time. You’re about to start Pre-K 4, and I know it will seem like tomorrow that you’ll be heading into Kindergarten.

Peanut, you have a heart of gold (and also tend to have a firey attitude too), and watching you care for others – especially your sister – makes me more proud than you’ll ever know. You are patient with Pumpkin, and have taken to calling her “my sweetheart” or “sweetie” – not sure where you got those (maybe the mom on Doc McStuffins?), but I love the way you love your little sister. You’re even patient with her when you are on the receiving end of bites, pinches, or hair-pulling which amazes me.

You love to be the center of attention and tend to come up with “jokes” that don’t really make too much sense, but your little fake laugh at the end always makes me laugh for real.

Some of your favorite things lately are:

• Doc McStuffins, Goldie & Bear, & Sofia the First (you’re CONSTANTLY asking to have an “episode”)
• Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches (usually a breakfast request so you’ll settle for toast with PB&J), & Lunchables (you’re a pretty picky eater!)
• Going to Denny’s with Pops & sitting at the counter
• The beach
• The digital camera you got for your birthday (which makes this mama VERY happy, clearly)
• Pretending to be either a doctor or a mom (I’m usually the girl & Pumpkin is the baby)
• Playing with your “friends” Butch & Pluter.
• Saying the blessing before meals.

I love love LOVE that you still want to hold my hand & I am so thankful to have this photo because I know that won’t last forever & I want to remember what it was like to look down past our hands to see you smiling at me like that!

When we went for a little walk to get some photos, you got SO excited about the orange flowers you found on the ground. You immediately started scooping them up so that you could take them home to give them to your daddy. Heart. Of. Gold.

You love wearing dresses, and almost always want to pick out your own shoes. Sometimes it’s tennis shoes like these hand-me-downs, sometimes it’s your plastic princess heels that are about 3 sizes too small (which has ended in some pretty hilarious moments on rainy days).

You are incredibly expressive & have a HUGE personality. Between you & your sister, there’s never a dull moment around here.

Sometimes this little smile is allllll sweetness, and sometimes it means you’ve done something sneaky or gotten into trouble somehow. I don’t really like the reasons (or the aftermath) of that second part, but I always love the smile.

Most nights, as your daddy and I are fighting to get you to go to bed, we end up talking about dreams. I’ll ask you what you want to dream about that night, and after thinking, you’ll usually respond with “Playing at the beach!” This alone makes my heart happy, but sweet girl, you almost always ask me if I will dream about the beach too so I can meet you in our dreams and we can play together. I want you to know that I will forever & always meet you in your dreams.

Be still my heart!

Peanut, I will be honest with you about the fact that you push me to my limit some days. Some days we’re still very much in the thick of the “terrible twos,” and even though you’re in “threenager” mode, I don’t feel like I’ve been nearly patient enough with you. Some days I feel like I’m failing as a mom. If you have kids of your own some day, I know you’ll understand what I mean. But I also want you to know that you teach me about joy, curiosity, faith, grace, laughter, imagination, and slowing down. You teach me that each day is a new day & there’s always room for “I’m sorry” and for trying again.

 

I am thankful for you, Peanut. I am thankful that you continue to teach me what it means to be a mama. I am thankful for your humor, your sweetness, and the lessons you teach me daily. (And I’m thankful for those cheeks of yours that turn rosy after being outside for just a few minutes!)

I love you to the moon & back, sweet girl!