Happy Birthday!

How is it possible that you’re making your fifth lap around the sun? It seems like just yesterday I was tripping over baby toys making bleary eyed trips to fetch you from your crib.  Every. Single. Hour. Of. Every. Single. Night.  Not a lot has changed in that department, you still come into our room every. single. night. But the girl that you have become. Wow.  It takes my breath away.

Maddie,  you are such an old soul trapped in a little girl’s body.  You get along so well with people 40+ years your senior.  I have loved watching you come out of your shell these past few months, showing your chickens to anyone and everyone who will come and take a look.  I love that you have had only one of their eggs, the rest being gifted to friends.  I love that while your sister stayed back at the condo during our trip because she didn’t want to eat her veggies, you brought her back a gift, leaving yourself with nothing.  I love that you always offer the last bite of your dessert to me.  And the first bite.  And a middle bite.  Who taught you to be so generous?

Speaking of teaching…school is your favorite thing.  You LOVE going to school.  Your desire to learn seems insatiable.  You constantly want to spell words, write letters, and read books.  You still hold your pencil like a wackadoodle. I've given up on that one.  Stubbornella should have been your middle name.

You’re a bit of a mama’s girl.  You’re shy.  Often painfully so, but I am here to tell you, you might be able to snap out of it in about 26 years.  You also love to exercise and get really upset if you don’t get it in for the day.  Most of the time our exercise consists of racing bikes up and down the alley with Allie running alongside you, Rudder chasing his ball, and the chickens pecking for bugs.  We are quite the sight.  But nothing in the whole wide world makes me happier than seeing your chicklet teeth smiling wide open, your grey/blue eyes twinkling and hearing your chipmunk voice laughing.