My sweet Hazel Grace,
You are a six-year-old kindergarten grad.
You celebrated with an epic day of horseback riding and a backyard birthday party. You were all about party planning with a guest list a mile long. A friend of a friend recently moved to Gig Harbor so we invited her and her girls over right around the time we sent out your party invitations. As you were going to bed that night you asked, "should we invite our new friends to the party?" to which I responded, "I was thinking the same thing." I love your gregarious nature and desire to be inclusive.
The transition to elementary school was smooth. You loved riding the bus and your best friend, Brynn, from preschool, was in your class. You had the same incredible teacher as the brothers, Mrs. Nilsen, and excelled in her classroom.
Animals continue to be your passion and the obsession with stuffies hasn't faltered. You have a kind, empathic heart and care deeply about your friendships. You love music and dancing. Midway through the school year, you picked up phrases like "It's none of your business" and "I wasn't talking to you!" I mentioned that those sayings sound sassy. You were very thoughtful and replied, "Oh, I didn't know it was rude." You've since eliminated them from your vocabulary. You told me recently, "You're the best mommy in the whole world!" Then got a bit philosophical, vocalizing that I was the best mommy for you and you didn't want to make anyone else feel bad.
You still use a pull-up at night and have a lot of near emergencies when you need to pee. You played a season of soccer in the fall and dominated the field. You did nine months of gymnastics and the class didn't teach you nearly as much as I'd hoped. When asked to climb the rope, you scaled it to the tippy top, causing a cold sweat to break out among all the parents observing. You decided you'd like to go back to dance next year so that you can be on stage for the recital. Creating your own performances at home is a popular passtime. We started the summer off with two weeks of swimming lessons and you're officially independent in the water. You can front crawl and roll over to a backstroke across the pool. As pictured, cat headbands were a staple of your wardrobe this year. You want to be a veterinarian when you grow up and I can 100% see that coming to fruition.
You're always down for an adventure and so much fun to be around. Your tender heart and inquisitive spirit are exactly what the world needs. It's an honor watching you grow and being your mama means everything to me. As you gain more independence I pray that you lean into who you were made to be and continue to discover what brings you joy. You are deeply loved, my sweet girl.
Xoxo,
Your Loving Mama
