Dear Addie,
You've been SIX years old for just four days and I am sitting here at one of your new favorite outdoor spots near the lake, called "The Slab." I am watching you intently reflecting on exactly who you are through my eyes and what I want YOU to know that I, your mother, see in you right now.
You really are the perfect mix of the outdoor, hang-with-the-boys, frog-catching, dirt-in-your-hair-chick mixed with new-vanity-loving, hair-brushing-for-hours, girlfriend-loving, draw-and-color-for-hours-kinda-gal.
I notice that you are very concerned about being a people pleaser, often offering to do something to help someone out. But I haven't had to worry about you being too much of a follower. You have an effortless ability to be independent if you feel like it and aren't concerned if you aren't part of a larger group. For that, I am beyond thankful. You recently signed up for the after school talent show and never even mentioned it to us! It was like no big deal on your six-year-old-radar.
You're tough, always keeping up with Carter and barely pausing when you get hurt. You aren't whiny and your know the limits, 95% of the time. We haven't had to worry about any kind of attitude except a new found habit of rolling your eyes, when you are embarrassed or annoyed by something we say.
After watching you and Carter together, I often pause to thank God for giving you one another. Even as you both mature and change individually, year after year, you are tighter and more in-sync than ever. You have a respect level for one another and I know this bond will be a large part of who you are for the rest of your lives.
Addie, as you are days away from wrapping up your kindergarten year, I have to be honest with and tell you I was a little worried a year ago to how school would suite you. I can confidently say that I was wrong to have any concerns and you have simply blown us and your teacher, Mrs. Apolinar, away on your development and focus in your first year of Spanish Immersion Kindergarten. Just this morning, you and I were in a small gift shop and you saw a dozen baby duck figurines in a bigger momma duck. You were enamoured, as you are with all animals, living or not and started talking about them. You then said, "I don't know how to say in English..." I told you to speak in Spanish if it was easier and you effortlessly started talking about them in this amazing Spanish until you got stumbled up on the word for "inside of." You absolutely blew me away and I felt like crying tears of joy and screaming at the top of my lunges. It was magic watching your brain at work and seeing all your hard work really start paying off.
You are sweet, often just walking up to me telling me how much you love me. Last week, as you were getting ready to leave for school, you told me how beautiful I was and came and gave me the most amazing hug. Don't me wrong, you still have your moments of not thinking clearly from being tired, which occasionally ends your evening early by being sent to your room where you quickly fall asleep.
You are tremendously out-going, so out-going, just right this second Carter really wanted to ask two high school boys where they bought their casting net and he asked you to do it and you quickly marched over to the 18-year-old-boys and found out Walmart was the place.
With the addition of your baby sister and now that you are a full fledged middle sister, my intention is that you only feel even more special with these two new titles. These days, we often talk to you about how Delaney will learn majority of everything over the next few years from you and Carter and how important of a job you have. You are much more than a little sister to Carter now, you have the even more prestigious job of being a big sister to Delaney. Seeing you with her recently and I realize Delaney is the lucky one to have such a stellar big sister.
All-in-all, "Miss Addie B," you are the complete package of a six-year-old and I can't be prouder to call you mine!
I love you so very much,
Mommy
