Self-Love

Dear Mackenzie,

You are drawing in your room right now and I just heard you say, "I like myself." And you should, because you are amazing!

Love,

Mom

Little Seamstress

Dear Mackenzie,

You had one of your dresses laid out flat on top of your doll's hot cocoa stand. I asked you why you put it like that and you told me that it was your "sewer" and that you were fixing the dress (sewer = sewing machine). I asked you how you know what a sewing machine is and you said it was from when we watched Cruella (the live-action one, where she is a fashion designer). So cute! I said, "Mackenzie, you are so creative!" You replied, "I have a good imagination!" Haha, yes, you do!

Love,

Mom

Pain Reliever

Dear Mackenzie,

You called your Bluey advent calendar an "Advil calendar" and now our family will only refer to advent calendars as that forevermore.

Love,

Mom

Boss Lady

Dear Mackenzie,

I heard you talking in your room last night and when I peeked in, you were sitting on your desk chair and addressing the stuffies on the floor. I asked you what you were doing and you said, "I'm telling the people what to do. I'm the boss." Yeah you are! And you are definitely a boss when it comes to figuring out letter sounds and how words are spelled. Yesterday, I gave you short words like "car" and "jam" and asked you how to spell them. You carefully sounded out each word and spelled them all correctly. So smart! When I praised you for your excellent spelling, you said proudly, "I found the solution! S-uh-loo . . . how do you spell 'solution'?" It's a trickier word, but you'll learn that one soon!

Love,

Mom

Organizational Skills

Dear Mackenzie,

Recent cuteness:

-I do most of my shopping online, so we don't go to physical stores that often, but I took you to Target the other day and when you saw the toy aisle, your eyes lit up and you gasped, "This store is amazing!" However, you were less enthralled by the Halloween aisle and when you saw all of the scary decorations, you covered your eyes and pleaded, "Can we go? Can we go now? It's freaking me out!"

-Speaking of stores, when we do go to them, you have an odd need to organize all of the products on the shelves. Be it cereal bars, lotion bottles or stuffies, you love to place all of the same items together and sometimes won't leave until you've properly sorted everything on a particular shelf. I hope the store employees have appreciated your help!

-You love sorting things at home, too. I decided to put all of our wrapped snacks in plastic bins so that they are more organized and you genuinely enjoyed sorting and grouping them. When you were finished, you exclaimed, "That was fun!"

-As a fun activity, I set up a "perfume shop" in our living room where you and JieJie could come "shop" for different fragrances (I even cut up strips of cardstock like they have in actual perfume stores so that you could test the perfumes on them). You loved it and wanted to show Daddy. When he walked into the living room, you shouted, "Just the man I was looking for!"

Recent cute sayings:

-"No one can know the future."

-"How did God make everything? How did she do it?" (looooove that you think God is a woman!)

-"Clearly." (you say this all the time now!)

Recent awesomeness: 

-I taught you my phone number and within minutes, you had already memorized it. Nice!

-When we went biking, Daddy gave you a bigger bike and you did a great job riding it. You were even able to pedal while standing up, which you were very proud of. And it made you look like such a big kid!

Love,

Mom

Single Lady

Dear Mackenzie,

You told me today, "I don't want to marry anyone. I don't want to kiss anyone except my family." Gotcha.

Love,

Mom

Growing Bigger

Dear Mackenzie,

You just turned 5 a mere nine days ago but I swear your hand already feels much bigger than it did before your birthday. You and I were holding hands while we walked down the stairs today and I just thought, "Who is this big girl next to me?"

Your sudden maturity hit me again later when we were sitting next to each other on the floor and coloring together. We were both working on a picture of dragonflies when you reached toward me and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. Then you smiled at me and resumed coloring. You'd never fixed my hair like that before and it was so . . . maternal. And sweet. And grown-up!

Love,

Mom

Shorts Story

Dear Mackenzie,

You were laying on my bed this afternoon when Daddy put his just-out-of-the-dryer laundry on the bed next to you. It was so warm and cozy and you held onto a pair of his boxers and a pair of his shorts while he folded the rest of his clothes. When he finished, you refused to relinquish the boxers and shorts, so he left the room. So you were holding the warm clothes, laying on top of my soft velour blanket with the sunshine (and subsequent heat) pouring in through the windows--when I walked into the room several minutes later, it's not surprising that you were nearly asleep!

The funniest part is that later tonight, I checked on you after you went to bed and what were you sleeping with in your bed? Not any of your stuffies or dolls, but those same boxers and shorts from earlier. Hahahaha! 

Love,

Mom

All Dolled Up

Dear Mackenzie,

Your current loves: anything chocolate, anything purple, the shows Fancy Nancy and Elena of Avalor, listening to music, sneaking into JieJie's room and taking her things (obviously, your sister does not share your enthusiasm for this), drawing pictures and playing with your Barbies and American Girl dolls. Because of the latter--and because we did the same for JieJie's 5th birthday--we held your birthday party at the American Girl Store yesterday. It was precious, perfect and very, very pink!

We invited a few of your closest gal pals and the four of you had so much fun playing with all of the dolls in the store, choosing a doll to sit down and have tea with, working on puzzles while waiting for the food and, of course, singing "Happy Birthday" and enjoying cake and ice cream! Every time I looked at you, you had the biggest smile on your face and I loved seeing how happy you were hugging your friends and playing with them. You told me that it was the "best birthday ever" and I am so so glad. You deserve it, Kenziebear!

Love,

Mom

You're Five Years Old!

Dear Mackenzie,

Happy 5th birthday, KenzieBear!!! As we have been saying for the past couple of weeks, you are now one whole hand!!!

You impress me every day with how smart, intuitive and capable you are. During your parent-teacher conference this week, your teacher predicted that you will be reading on your own pretty soon and I can see it--you know all of your letter sounds and you have already started reading simple words like me, see and go. A few weeks ago, you were looking at my cookbooks and you said, "Mama, I see the word 'the'!" (on my The Woks of Life cookbook). You can spell the words the, see, love, apple, boo (from all the Halloween decorations in school maybe?), Mama, Dad, Lila and Sawyer. On your homework the other day, you wrote "I see Dad/I see Mama/I see Emma." You often sit at your desk with a pencil and paper and try to sound out words and spell them. You like to copy down words you see written elsewhere. You are very responsible about doing your homework every day and sometimes even ask for more homework. I actually bought you a kindergarten workbook at the end of September since you always finish your two daily pages of kindergarten homework so quickly every day--and you've already completed the entire workbook!

You also impress me with your can-do attitude, which you have always had. I've heard you say, "I have a problem, I'm going to find a solution!" You relish completing tasks on your own, like brushing your teeth (you can floss, brush, rinse your toothbrush, clean the toothpaste off your mouth and rinse your mouth all on your own; if you could reach the toothbrush holder over the sink, you'd take and put back your toothbrush, too!). You learned how to tie your hair up in a ponytail (which is something JieJie couldn't do until she was 7). When we visited a firehouse last month, you climbed to the top of the firetruck and I could tell that you were very scared when you were coming back down, but I watched you power through your fear and bravely climb down the ladder without a tear or even a whimper (I also watched you have the time of your life sitting in the driver's seat, trying on a firefighter uniform and spraying a real firehose!). Last month, we also went on a challenging hike with lots of hills and slippery dirt paths but you had amazing stamina and walked the entire trail with your siblings and me. We even passed another mom who marveled at how focused and well-behaved you were. She said she has a 4-year-old who can't walk the trail yet because he'd be running all over the place and complaining about being tired. She asked me how I taught you to do it and I didn't really have an answer for her other than that we've been hiking ever since you were little. In my head, though, I was thinking, "She just does it because she is AWESOME!" :-)

And you really are awesome. You are so loving and affectionate and I love how you sometimes just pop in the room, shout "I love you!" to me and then pop right back out. When I asked you what your favorite holiday is, you said Thanksgiving "because of the food and because I get to celebrate with my family." You love to be silly and goof around. Your giggles are the absolute BEST and when you smile your big, happy smile--oh man! You are so funny and you make me laugh all of the time with the way you phrase things. After you took your first math test, you said, "I got 100! I won!" You love to draw, especially pictures of you and me, hearts, rainbows and dinosaurs (on Halloween, you fittingly drew a vampire "drinking a cup of blood"--which is the creepiest picture any of you kids have ever drawn, haha!). You recently drew a picture of Bluey and Bingo, and it actually looked like Bluey and Bingo!

As your mom, I appreciate that you actually listen to what I teach you and apply it in your life. When a classmate kept touching you, you said you told her, "It's my body and you have to respect it. If I don't want you to touch me, you can't touch me." When there were barbecue nuggets at lunch, they didn't look appetizing to you but you said, "You told me to try new foods and if I don't like them, I don't have to eat them." I appreciate that you are compassionate and caring. The other night, you woke up crying and actually kicked me really hard in my stomach. You heard me say "Ow!" and you wailed in the middle of your crying, "Are you okaaaaaaay?"

I like that you know the words to so many songs and sing along to them all of the time at home or when we're in the car (your favorite tunes right now are "Rescue Me" by OneRepublic, "She's All I Wanna Be" by Tate McRae, "Finale" by AJR, "APT" by Rose and Bruno Mars and the Hamilton soundtrack (and you know not to sing the curse words, haha!). I like that you still dress up in the most eclectic getups, like a scarf wrapped over your head with a sunhat, apron, sweatshirt and Belle slippers. I like that we still do our run hugs, that you still like to cuddle with me at bedtime and that you still cherish our Mama-Mackenzie time. You still sleep with me every night (sometimes, Daddy gets up and moves to your bed if you're kicking him too much!) and I do often wish that you'd stay in your bed all night (because you kick--and slap--me in your sleep, too!). All of your siblings were sleeping in their beds all night way before they turned 5. The funny thing is, I got my wish a couple weeks ago. For the first time ever, you went to bed in your room one Monday night and you were still sleeping there when I woke up the next morning. And I missed waking up next to you. When I woke up on Wednesday morning, you were asleep in my bed next to me and I was so happy to see you! And when I wake you up in the mornings, you always reach for my arm and hug it. So let's hold on to this a little longer!

Happy birthday, my sweet baby girl! I love you so much!

Love,

Mom

Send In the Replacement

Dear Mackenzie,

Two recent Mackenzie funnies:

-When you and I were looking through the snack bin, we noticed that there was only one blueberry yogurt Hi-Chew left. You said we could split it and share it. I said I could be generous and give you the whole thing. You replied, "I can be generous, too, and give you the whole thing . . . but it's nicer to share so two people can have it." Hahaha! I think you might have been more worried about you not getting a piece than me not getting a piece!

-We had the following conversation after seeing a spider on the ceiling of your room:

You: What is that?

Me: It's a spider.

Y: But it's so big.

M: Spiders can be big.

Y: It's a mommy spider.

M: Should I kill it then.

Y: Yes.

M: But then its kids won't have a mommy.

Y: They still have a daddy.

M: But then the daddy won't have a wife.

Y: It's okay, he can just make a new one. If you lose Daddy, you can just get a new one.

So matter-of-fact and cold, Mackenzie, sheesh.

Love,

Mom

Fright Fest

Dear Mackenzie,

I love Halloween because it's fun to dress up and see people's costumes. Many of them are so cute and/or creative and who doesn't like to pretend to be someone or something else for a day? And even though it's a weird tradition to go door-to-door to ask strangers for free candy, it's fun to see what goodies you have scored at the end of the night (save all of your Three Musketeers for me!)

However, I don't love Halloween because it's not fun for me to celebrate death. I don't like the morbid, creepy aspect of Halloween and I hate that I've always had to shield my kids from the blood and gore every year. Of course I explain to you that it's just plastic and food coloring and that it's all fake, but it's still terrifying for you to see it. If people want to watch horror films or walk through haunted houses, cool, fine, you do you, but I hate when the scary stuff is, say, right on a front lawn and we have to walk past it. Starting as early as mid-September, I have to start scoping out our paths and giving you a heads-up if there is a zombie, witch or werewolf lurking somewhere. If there are particularly scary decorations you don't like, we have to walk down an entirely different street to avoid it. Last week, there was a freaky animatronic demon in front of a restaurant and you tried to scramble past it so fast without looking at it that you tripped and fell on the sidewalk. When I had to return a costume to Party City yesterday, all of the Halloween displays in the store scared you so much that I had to cover your head with your jean jacket and carry you out. And even before I could do that, you had to psych yourself up because just the thought of going past the displays, even in my arms and with your head covered, frightened you that much. Good lord.

At least the Halloween decorations will be packed away soon (how creepy to have boxes of bloody severed hands and whatnot tucked into the corners of your dark basement) and we can look forward to the fun and festive Christmas decorations!

Love,

Mom

Sixty Grand

Dear Mackenzie,

When I woke you up this morning, you smiled and said, "I love Mama." I replied, "I love Mackenzie!" You then said, "I love you more. You only love me one percent but I love you 60,000!" My sweet, funny girl :-)

Love,

Mom

Kindergarten!

Dear Mackenzie,

On the night before your first day of kindergarten, you had been sleeping but then you came running into my room with blood all over your mouth and chin. Your nose had started bleeding but thankfully, there wasn't that much blood and you hadn't even gotten any on your pjs or sheets (though there was blood on your hands, as well as some scary bloody handprints on your headboard, haha!). Also thankfully, your first week of kindergarten has been much calmer and quieter than that night!

Your first day of kindergarten was last Thursday and despite the overnight nosebleed, you woke up early and said you were nervous but excited. You were happy to use your new Bluey backpack and you were so brave at drop-off. You picked up your nametag from your new teacher, held hands with the classmate standing next to you and walked into a building you had never been in before like it was nothing. You waved and smiled at me from the steps as if you'd already done it hundreds of times. Rock star!

At pick-up that afternoon, you came out smiling, waved and ran to me and happily told me that you "didn't cry even once." When telling me about your day, you called all of your classmates "my friend" and informed me that you couldn't remember anyone's names except Emma and Aidan but that "they're not the same Emma and Aidan" (from your nursery and pre-k classes). 

So far, you only get one worksheet for homework, which takes you about two minutes to complete. You say you like doing homework and even ask, "Can I have more homework?" Sometimes, you draw hearts along the edges of the worksheets so that you can stay in the study longer "doing homework."

Earlier this week, I told you to change for school. When I walked into your room, you had put your dress on over your head so that it was still covering your head and collapsed onto the edge of your bed--you were just laying there face-down like that, as if getting ready that day was just too much. But the early mornings have been fine for the most part and you have adapted really well to your new school, taking the bus home with Second GuhGaw and completing your homework. You get tired and take naps but still go to bed by 8:30pm. I'm so proud of you! I hope you have a great year in kindergarten this year!

Love,

Mom

Cuddle Time

Dear Mackenzie,

Some choice Mackenzie quotes:

- When you were scared to go over a tall bridge at a play space last week, I said you could do it and you replied, "Okay, Mama, I will try my best."

- When you tried my lemon blueberry cake, you shouted, "It's amazing! Everything Mama bakes is so amazing!"

- When we all discovered weird green marks on our feet, you said, "Guys! What is going on in our house?! I'm so confused!" (Turns out I had spilled some green food coloring on the kitchen floor and we'd all stepped on it. Oops.)

 - "Guys, I didn't fart! I didn't hear it or feel it!"

- "This is Aurora. I'm going to put a baby in her stomach."

- You said, "Mama, Daddy, give each other a special hug for your anniversary." And then you pushed us together. (This was made funnier by the fact that I have told you and your siblings that babies are made when mommies and daddies give each other a "special hug.")

- You were pretending to be on a cooking show and said, "I'm going to add a cup of milk to make it sweeter. This recipe is so good, you can't wait to try it."

- When you were looking for me in the house, you asked, "Where is my beautiful Mama?" (Awww!)

- You crawled into bed and asked, "Do you want to cuddle with your little daughter?" (Always!)

Love,

Mom

Milking It

Dear Mackenzie,

Me: Do you want milk?

You: I want to sit on Mama's lap and hug Mama!

Done!

Love,

Mom

Slip 'n Slide

Dear Mackenzie,

As a former editor, I hate grammatical errors. But as your mama, I think your grammatical errors are the cutest!

Exhibit A: the way you say "ointmeal" instead of "oatmeal"

Exhibit B: the way you say that police will come "rescue" criminals when you mean that they will "arrest" them

Exhibit C: the way you exclaimed, "Mama's going to get slipped!" and moved the books that were on your floor out of my path when I came into your room with a basket of laundry

Love,

Mom

Insta-Famous

Dear Mackenzie,

I'm currently sitting at my desk while you are playing with your DC Super Hero Girls action figures on the floor next to me and I just heard you say, "I need someone to help me with my Instagram!" Oh geez.

Love,

Mom

Chicken Plants

Dear Mackenzie,

I went on a moms' vacation last month (my first time traveling without Daddy or any of you kids in 13 years!!) and you were not happy about it. During the days leading up to my departure, you kept asking me to cancel my trip. On the morning of my flight, you were still sad and asking me to cancel but as I was walking out the door, you suddenly called out after me, "Don't forget to buy me a present!" Hahaha!

When I came back home a few days later, you were already asleep but you woke up in the middle of the night, ran to my room and asked, "Where's Mama?!" I was in bed so you jumped on top of me and hugged me so tightly! Later in the morning, I asked you what you wanted for breakfast and you replied, "Mama hugs!" You also told me, "I love you more than a 1000-feet-high building!" Kenziebear, you are so sweet!!! 

You are also so funny. Examples:

- "I've been waiting for ages!"

- "Guys, what is on your phone that is so interesting?"

- "Shoo! Shoo!" (when you see bugs)

- The way you annihilated an ant with your palm when you saw it crawling across the floor--it was the teeniest ant but you smacked it so hard that it probably turned to dust.

- "Mama, they had to evaporate from Florida. Because of the hurricane."

- When you drank water that had been in the fridge, you said, "It's so refreshing."

- When you tried my apple pie, you exclaimed, "It's perfect!"

- You asked me, "Is Taylor Swift real? Is she real in this world?" (You are still working out real people versus real people who portray other real people in shows versus real people who portray fictional people. It's very confusing, I know.)

- When I told you that we were going to make jello, you said, "I'm so happy!"

- When we were at Target, I said you could pick out a new outfit for your Barbies. You exclaimed, "I get to pick one?! For real life?!? I'm the luckiest girl in the whole world!!!"

- You also told me, "I'm a girl who is really hungry" when I told you that you were asking for too much food for lunch (you requested dumplings AND a ham and cheese sandwich).

- When I was whispering, you asked me, "Mama, why are you secreting?"

- I was cleaning up your room and said that if you helped me, I'd have more free time. You replied, "More free time? Got it!" and then started cleaning up your own things.

- You came out of my closet smelling very strongly of perfume. I asked you which one you'd put on and you told me, "All of them." Yikes.

- While we were walking home, we saw a flock of birds eating seeds and you said, "Let's keep walking so that we don't scare the birds and they can keep eating."

- When we were scrolling through Netflix trying to find something to watch, I said there was a movie called Migration. You exclaimed, "I want to watch Migration!" I joked, "It's about tax laws!" You shouted, "Ooooh!! Tax law--what??" 

- In Migration, there is a plot line where a chef is trying to kill the family of ducks. Thus, I explained to you that sometimes farmers kill animals like ducks and chickens and that chefs cook them. You replied, "I thought they planted chickens." Hahahaha!

Love,

Mom

Mama's Helper

Dear Mackenzie,

I was cooking dinner the other day and asked you to put the box of couscous back on the counter for me. You did, and you even got a rubber band to wrap around the box and close it back up first.

Then today, we were getting ready to leave the house and I was running around like a crazy chicken like I usually do when we have to go anywhere all together. I asked your older siblings to help gather things but they engaged in some hand-clapping game instead. Meanwhile, YOU, the YOUNGEST child, got the snacks and water bottles and put them by the door so that I could pack them up. Thank you, sweet girl, for always being so helpful!

Love,

Mom

Good Brain

Dear Mackenzie,

You really do have an amazing memory. You always recall things that happened or things I said awhile ago, even if we've never mentioned them again. This morning, you said completely out of the blue, "I remember one time you told me that when you and Daddy started dating, you were walking down the street and someone beeped and he let go of your hand so fast because he was scared!" You were referring to the story I told you about how my parents didn't know that Daddy and I were dating when my dad saw us walking down the street one day while he was driving the city bus. He honked when he recognized us and when Daddy realized it was my dad honking, he dropped my hand so fast, hahaha! I told you that story once a really long time ago and I can't believe you recalled it so well! When I asked you how you always remember all of these things, you replied, "I have a really good brain. I can remember things from a long time." You definitely can!

Love,

Mom

Super Much

Dear Mackenzie,

Questions I asked you today just for fun:

How old am I? 22

What is my favorite color? Purple

What is my job? To take care of us

What do I cook the best? Pasta and then bake 

What do you like to do with me? Hug

Why do you love me? Because I like baking with you

What is something I say a lot? I love you
What makes me happy? Surprises
What makes me sad? When people are yelling
How tall am I? Super tall

What am I good at? Baking
What is my favorite thing to do? Sleep
What is my favorite food? Ice cream
What is my favorite drink? Lemonade
If I could go anywhere, where would I go? Paris
What do I do that bothers you? Nothing
What is my favorite TV show? Bluey
What is my favorite music to listen to? BTS
How much do you love me? Super much

How old are you? 4

What is your favorite color? Purple

What is your job? To clean up toys

What do like to help me cook? Ice cream

What do I like to do with you? Hug

What is something you say a lot? Donut donut donut
What makes you happy? Surprises
What makes you sad? Nothing
How tall are you? A little tall

What are you good at? Making art
What is your favorite thing to do? Hug Mama
What is your favorite food? Ice cream
What is your favorite drink? Lemonade
If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Paris
What annoys you? Nothing
What is your favorite TV show? Bluey
What is your favorite music to listen to? Peppa Pig
How much does Mama love you? Super much

That last one is so true!!

Love,

Mom

Yes, Please!

Dear Mackenzie,

You came into my room this morning while I was still in bed and were just the cutest! When I asked you, "Do you want to cuddle with me?" you answered with an enthusiastic, "Yes, please!" Once you jumped into bed and snuggled up next to me, you looked up at me so adoringly and hugged me so hard. I love that you still fit so nicely in my arms! And I love all the sweet things you said this morning, such as "I want to stay with Mama!" and "I wish there was a button you could press and then all the housework is done and you can just relax." OMG, yes, please!

Love,

Mom

Cute Things Come in Threes

Dear Mackenzie,

They say bad things come in threes but I say Mackenzie's cute things come in threes!

Cute thing #1: Before you left for school this morning, you were scooting around the upstairs hallway on your belly with your legs up in the air. You were wiggling back and forth and saying, "I'm a fish! I'm a fish! Okay, time to turn around." Daddy and I just watched you in amusement, taking in all of your adorableness!

Cute thing #2: When you were playing with Barbies in JieJie's room, I heard you singing loudly, "Da da da da da da! Da da da da da da da! You're going to hear me roar!" Best version of Katy Perry's "Roar" ever!

Cute thing #3: After you finished your dinner, you asked for more pasta. I said you'd had enough and pointed at your (greatly) protruding belly. You immediately sucked in your belly and said, "I don't have a big belly! Can I have more pasta? My belly isn't big!" You little trickster!

Love,

Mom

Here's the Kicker

Dear Mackenzie,

On Friday, JieJie graduated from 6th grade! It was very emotional watching her stepping up ceremony (she accomplished so much during her first year at her new middle school!), but one of the highlights of the day was actually you! We were in the gym waiting for the ceremony to begin when I got up to use the bathroom. You called out after me, "Mama, wait! I have to tell you something! You look beautiful and I love you so much!" You are SO SWEET!!! 

Last night, you insisted on squeezing the toothpaste onto your toothbrush by yourself. You even made sure to hold the toothpaste and toothbrush over the tub. Then you insisted on brushing your teeth, washing the toothpaste off of your mouth and rinsing, again all on your own. When you finished, you exclaimed, "I brush my teeth all by myself! Now you can rest. I'm going to cook dinner." You are SO CUTE!!!

In the middle of the night, you woke up in your bed and scrambled to mine, as you do every night. Last night, though, you lifted your very strong leg up in the air and drop-kicked me right on my throat. I woke up in shock, coughing and gasping for breath. You are SO DANGEROUS!!!

Love,

Mom

Sassy Little Sister

Dear Mackenzie,

We went to an arcade today and during the car ride home, you were whining and complaining that your siblings had each gotten two Minecraft cards while you'd only gotten one and it just. Wasn't. Fair! Daddy said, "If you don't stop whining, I'm going to take away your Minecraft card." You snapped back, "Just keep driving, Daddy. You're going to crash the car." Whoooooooaaaaa. The sass! It's cute and funny now because you are still little, but I do not recommend continuing it when you are older when it will be way less cute and funny! 

Love,

Mom

Staying Strong

Dear Mackenzie,

You could try to be cuter, but I don't think it's possible for you to be any cuter than you already are!

-The other night at bedtime, you stood up on your bed, stretched your arms out as much as you could and proclaimed, "Mama, I love you more than the sky! Because the sky is super big!"

-That same night, you also told me, "I love you. I'm so glad you're my mama."

-You pronounce the word pattern "patterin." 

-This morning, I was mad at myself because I ripped open your overnight diaper before realizing you hadn't peed in it, which I thought you had. I was annoyed because we could have used the diaper again and I'd wasted it. You calmly told me, "Mama, it's okay. Put your anger together in one spot. And what do you do with things you don't want? You throw them away." Mind. BLOWN. Such wise words from my 4-year-old! I was so impressed--until tonight, when I told JieJie and Second GuhGaw what you had said to me and they informed me that you had repeated it from an episode of "Bluey." Why oh why do I still not realize that most of the things you say are from an episode of "Bluey"??

-At dinner, I often ask you and your siblings to tell me the favorite part of your day. Tonight, you answered, "Hugging Mama! Hugging Mama is always my favorite part of every day!" <melt!>

-At bedtime tonight, you said, "I have to bring four books to bed. I used to not like to read but now I do. I like to look at the stories. Before I only liked to play. Well, I still like to play. I like to do both!" (I'm so glad you enjoy reading more now! And tonight's selection of books was The Very Hungry Caterpillar, If Not For You, The Earth Book and Fancy Nancy: Saturday Night Sleepover.) 

-Also at bedtime tonight, I asked you, "Do you want a stuffie? Do you want Bluey? Fluffy? Peppa**?" You replied, "No, and I don't have Peppa. I have Olivia. I don't want them. I only want to cuddle with you."

(**I don't know why but I constantly get mixed up and call Olivia Peppa.)

-You are still the most independent of my kids. One time, you asked me to tie your apron on but I was doing laundry and said I'd do it once I was done. After I finished putting the clothes in the washer and washed my hands, I went into your room and saw that you had woven the apron strings around the neck hole section of the apron in such a way that the apron was staying up and wrapped nicely around you. You couldn't tie the apron yourself but you found another way to do it. I am so impressed by your ingenuity and persistence!

This morning, I walked into your room and saw you struggling to put on your skort. I asked you why you hadn't asked me for help and you said you wanted to try and do it by yourself. When you needed to change your shirt, I said I'd get one for you after I finished cooking dinner. The next thing I know, you appeared in the kitchen with a new shirt you had fetched yourself out of your top drawer. And many times when I say I'll help you with something, you tell me, "I can do it. I'm strong!" Yes, you are, sweet girl!

Love,

Mom

Keeping the Peace

Dear Mackenzie,

Here are some recent happenings:

-You asked me the other day, "Can you have a baby named Rose?" I don't even know where you heard the name Rose and it's cute that you've already picked out a name for this nonexistent sister of yours but, um, hard no.

-I can't believe how big you already are. I had to pack away your size 4T and 5T clothes because you now fit into sizes 6 and 7. I asked you if you could stay this size forever, and you replied, "When I'm bigger, I can still be a good helper. I will still help you." And you really are an AMAZING helper! You are always so eager to help me carry the laundry, grab ingredients from the pantry, mix whatever I am cooking on the stove, shut off the lights in a room, etc. When I tell you to clean up your room, you do it and put all of your toys and books away. You are the best!

-You are also an amazing hugger! You hug me all of the time and sometimes you hug me so tightly, your whole body starts to quiver! You're always requesting, "One more hug!" And the other day, when I asked you why you seemed so excited, you said, "I'm so excited to hug Mama!"

-I always have music playing in the house and I think that's why you like listening to music so much. And I love hearing you sing along to your favorite pop songs. (You recently heard the song "Stay" by Zedd and Alessia Cara and ask for it all the time now. You also like "She's All I Wanna Be" and "Greedy" by Tate McRae.) You always sound so cute! You also love to dance and we have dance parties whenever we can!

-When you were in nursery school, you were all about playing with your Calico Critters and Bluey and Disney princess figurines. Lately, though, those toys have been collecting dust on your shelf as you have turned to all things Barbie. Aaaggghh, another sign that you are getting bigger!

-Your school is almost one mile away from our house and I used to use your stroller to bring you home, but over the past few months, you have often walked back the entire way. When we get to the "squiggly hill" near our house, you often smile and say, "I walked the whole way home!"

-You are a strong walker--and you are a strong runner, too! You can run really fast for a 4-year-old! And when you are on your scooter, I have to run really fast to keep up with you. You are getting so strong!

-The other day, JieJie and Second GuhGaw were fighting in the attic. He claimed that she hit him with a basketball on purpose, she claimed that he scratched her arm on purpose. Of course, they both claimed their misdeeds were accidents. They were snapping at each other and I heard you say in the most placating tone, "Okay guys, it wasn't on purpose, just say you're sorry." Look at you, mini peacekeeper!

Love,

Mom

Little Helper

Dear Mackenzie,

Weekday mornings can be chaotic but you made this morning decidedly less chaotic. I took a bowl of leftover dumplings out of the fridge to heat some up for your lunch and when I was done, you put the clingwrap back on the bowl and put the bowl back in the fridge for me. When you finished your breakfast, you turned off the iPad music and the dining room light before leaving the room. After I brushed your teeth, I told you to go to your room so that I could do your hair. When I got to your room a minute later, you were standing in your room with your hair untied, head down, brush in one hand, hair tie in another--you were in position and waiting for me to do your hair! Thank you for being so helpful and dutiful! You know what needs to be done and do it without me having to ask, which I appreciate so much!

Love,

Mom

Happy Greetings

Dear Mackenzie,

One of the best parts of having little kids is how genuinely happy they are to see you all of the time. Whenever I pick you up from school, I see your cute little face peeking out from behind your classmates and you always smile the biggest smile when you spot me. And I've heard you say it so many times but it always warms my heart when you chirp excitedly, "I see my mom!"

Today, your teacher arranged a very sweet Mother's Day breakfast at school and I arrived a little later than the other moms. You and your classmates were all sitting quietly on the rug and when you saw me walk into the classroom, you shouted, "My mom is here!" Then you jumped up, ran over to me and gave me the biggest hug! I love it so much! And I love you so much! I had the best time at breakfast with you this morning!

Love,

Mom

Wiggly Nose

Dear Mackenzie,

Recent cuteness:

-The way you say "girl" and "world" with an extra emphasis on the "rl" sounds

-The way you say "mooring" instead of "morning"

-When I'm watching TV but you want me to pay attention to you instead, you climb onto my lap, press your nose to mine, rub our noses together and say, "Wiggly nose!" If I try to pull away, you say, "No, don't look at the TV! Look at me! Wiggly nose!" Works every time, haha! 

-You saw the word "making" and initially thought it was your name: "Mama, it says 'Mackenzie!' M-A . . . wait, that's not my name." You are going to be an amazing reader soon!

-I stubbed my toe so badly this morning that by bedtime, it was super swollen and bruised. When you saw it, you immediately laid down on the floor and kissed my toe several times to make it feel better. Thank you so much, sweetie!

Recent cuteness-but-only-because-you're-still-little:

-I asked you to clean up your room. After several minutes, you declared, "I can't clean up my room. I decided that I'm tired."

-When you woke up this morning, you claimed that your stomach hurt. You clutched your belly, bent over, made a pained expression and coughed violently. I said you could stay home from school and proceeded to get your siblings ready. Over the next half hour, you seemed suspiciously fine: smiling, running around, playing. Whenever I asked you if you were okay enough to go to school, your demeanor immediately changed and you started acting sick and weary again. Hmmm. You stayed home from school but by early morning, it was clear that you were totally fine. Trickster! I wasn't that mad because you're only in pre-k, you're my youngest and I appreciate our "Mama-Mackenzie" time--but you better not fake being sick again!

Love,

Mom

All Tied Up

Dear Mackenzie,

Recent Mackenzie quotes:

-To your friend when I arrived at school pick-up wearing a skirt: "Do you see my mom? She's wearing a skirt! Doesn't she look pretty?"

-When you asked why Second GuhGaw doesn't listen but I pointed out that you don't always listen, like just last week when you wouldn't go home when it was time to leave a play date: "Mama, I don't want to talk about that."

-When you saw several containers of chocolate hummus in the fridge: "Yay! Daddy knows all the things I love! He knows I love chocolate hummus! And cookie butter! And Mama!" (hahaha, so I rank third after chocolate hummus and cookie butter?)

-When you were drifting off to sleep and you felt me get up: "Stay, Mama, stay." You whispered it so softly and sweetly so of course I had to stay! 

And this isn't a quote but I want to add that you have acquired the practice of tying your stuffie's ears together in a knot. If your stuffie's ears are long enough, you've tied its ears together. I asked you why you did this and you said they have to tie their ears up because they are going to shower. Okay!

Love,

Mom

Tell It Like It Is

Dear Mackenzie,

Recent funnies:

-You used number counters to make a hammer and went around the house tapping the walls and pretending to fix them.

-I heard you ask yourself, "Did I brush my teeth?" Then you forcefully exhaled twice to smell your own breath.

-On our last night in Paris, I told Sawyer to change out of his shirt and button it up before putting it with the other dirty clothes. He didn't listen and just kept coloring his picture but you stepped in to scold him by narrating what had just transpired: "Mama: 'Button up your shirt.' You: Keeps coloring and doesn't listen to Mama. Mama told you to button your shirt! You're not doing what she said!" So friggen cute!

Love,

Mom

School Update

Dear Mackenzie,

I had a parent-teacher conference with your teacher today and she only had great things to tell me about you! She said you are a pleasure to have in class and that you get along with all of your classmates. You do well in math, you love music and art and you like riding the bike on the playground, which you didn't used to, but now you do maybe because your legs are strong enough to pedal it. Also, when you started school in September, you could only identify one letter in the alphabet, but now can easily name 23! (The letters o, p and q give you a little trouble.) You are so good at writing your first and last names and you have also learned how to write "mama" and "love." (So, all the most important words, haha!) You know all of your letter sounds and I am relieved to see that you are currently more interested in reading. Up until recently, you would only look at books briefly and sometimes only if I read to you, but now I see you choosing to read all on your own. And every night, after I put on your pjs and it's time to get in bed, you haul half a dozen books to your bed to read until you fall asleep. And it's always the same six books, more or less: Madeline, Curlfriends, Peanut Butter & Cupcake, Unicorn Diaries, Beautiful and a copy of your Community House yearbook (I spent so many hours putting that together, so I'm so happy you still look at it all of the time!). Sometimes, you swap something out for No More Kissing or All About Bluey.

I'm so proud of how well you've done in school this year and how much you've learned!

Love,

Mom

Straight Up

Dear Mackenzie,

You have an ear infection and you have been an absolute rock star when it comes to taking your medicine. You have to take 11ml of amoxicillin twice a day and I know it tastes pretty gross but we didn't have any juice to mix it with, so you took last night's and this morning's doses straight up. You said the medicine was disgusting and tasted so bad but you also understood that you have to take your medicine to get better, so that's what you did while scrunching up your nose and making grossed-out faces. I asked PoiPoi to pick up some orange juice in the afternoon but ironically, it was harder for you to drink the medicine when I mixed it with the juice. I guess it actually tasted worse? You even asked to take the medicine plain tomorrow! Maybe with a separate orange juice chaser? Either way, I am proud of you for being so mature about taking your medicine! Not a lot of 4-year-olds are!

Love,

Mom

Tiger Terror

Dear Mackenzie,

One of your classmates celebrated his birthday in school last week and his mom gave everyone a cute T-shirt in the goody bag. Your shirt had a rainbow-colored tiger on it and when you first saw it, your eyes lit up and you said you loved it--but then you changed your mind. I washed it and laid it out on your bed for you to wear yesterday, but you said you didn't want to wear it. I said you didn't have to and you picked out another shirt to wear. Then at bedtime, you asked me, "Do you know where I put my tiger shirt?" You had buried it at the bottom of one of your toy boxes and then taken a bunch of blankets and put them on top of the toys because you were actually scared of the tiger shirt. Awww! I said I would take the shirt out of your room and you looked so relieved! Today, I offered it to another classmate's mom and she said she would take it, so fear not! The shirt is not going to be in the house anymore!

Love,

Mom

Solo Sleeper

Dear Mackenzie,

A few noteworthy moments of late:

-The other night, you came to my room in the middle of the night and you were not wearing your pajama bottoms. You were half-asleep and said you didn't know where they were--but Daddy found them on your bed. I guess you'd gotten so hot that you took them off in your sleep? It really amazes me how warm you get at night--you always throw the blanket off of you while you sleep, even on the coldest winter evenings.

-Yesterday, you woke up in the morning before everyone else did and played quietly in your room while the rest of us slept in. At one point, I heard you come into my room and felt you pull my blanket over my feet to cover them. Later, when I got up, you told me, "Mama, when you were sleeping, I cover your feet so they won't get cold." Thank you so much for taking care of me, sweetie!

-Yesterday, you asked me, "Can I stay this size? I don't want to get bigger. I don't want to have to do homework. What if I only drink water? Then will I stay this size?" Oh, cutiepie, if only!

-I put you to bed in your room every night but you always, ALWAYS wake up in the middle of the night and shuffle sleepily to my room, climb onto my bed, crawl over my legs and flop down in between Daddy and me. Last night, though, Daddy slept with you in your bed, so you stayed there all night, but you didn't know Daddy slept with you because he was already up when you woke up. So when you first opened your eyes this morning and realized that you were in your bed instead of mine, you came running into my room and said proudly, "Mama! I slept in my bed all night! I slept all by myself! I so proud of myself! Are you proud of me? I'm going to do it again tonight!" You were beaming so much over your supposed accomplishment that Daddy and I couldn't bear to burst your bubble and tell you the truth. But we'll see if you do stay in your bed tonight!

Love,

Mom

Batting A Thousand

Dear Mackenzie,

Recent cuteness: 

-A sad music video made me cry and when you saw my red, swollen eyes, you asked, "Huh? Why you crying, Mama? Why you sad? I don't like Sad Mama. I cheer you up!" And then the way you looked up at me so sweetly did just that!

-When I told you that I had previously taken Sawyer to the nearby firehouse for its annual Open House, you asked, "Why didn't you bring me? I'm cute!"

-There is a popular "Bluey" episode where Bluey and Bingo pretend they are grannies. On the way home from school the other day, you and your bestie Ksiusha reenacted that episode by using sticks as canes, walking slowly while bent over and talking to each other in old-lady-granny voices. I am so mad I didn't have my phone to record it!

-I'm also mad that I didn't have my phone the time you and Ksiusha stopped in front of a house with a steep driveway that slopes down to a garage under the house. The two of you realized that if you stand at the top of the driveway and shout, there is an echo, so guess what happened next? You two crazy monkeys stood there for several minutes shouting each other's names and giggling at the way they bounced back at you. I hated to break up the fun but after half a dozen rounds of "Ma-CKENZIE-E-E-E! KSIU-SHA-A-A-A-A!" I said we had to keep walking because if someone was home, they were going to wonder why two little girls were screaming at their house. Hahaha!!

And this one shouldn't have been cute but it actually really was:

-You were in the play attic and fighting with JieJie and Second GuhGaw over toys when I suddenly heard you scream at them, "I hate you 1000!" Whoa. You do tell me all the time now that you love me 1000, so I guess it makes sense that it also swings the other way.

Love,

Mom

100 Good

Dear Mackenzie,

Kenziebear, you always say the sweetest things! Such as:

-"Mama, your food is 100 good!"

-"I love you 1000 billion billion BILLION!"

-"I draw lots of pictures for my mama because I love her so much!!!!"

You also do so many sweet things for me. Last week, I was in my room and you were downstairs. When you came up, you brought up my water bottle for me and I hadn't even asked for it! Another day, I woke up early to get breakfast for Second GuhGaw and then went back to bed. Right before his state exam test prep Google Meet, I called out, "Don't forget to brush your teeth and sign on to your call!" You were in my bed next to me when I said this and you said, "Do you want me to tell him? I tell him!" Then you jumped out of the bed and ran down the hallway to Second GuhGaw's room. When you came back, you said, "You know why I told Sawyer? So Mama can stay in bed and get some rest. I love my mama so much!" Then you hugged me so tightly and I felt so so SO lucky!!

Love,

Mom

Budding Food Critic

Dear Mackenzie,

Oh, my little girly girl! I wonder if you would still be so girly if I was more of a tomboy? For Chinese New Year a couple weeks ago, you wore a red satin dress to school and you were so excited, especially when I paired it with a sparkly pink cardigan. You kept asking your siblings, "Do I look pretty?" And when you were washing your hands in the bathroom, you looked in the mirror and said to yourself, "I'm the prettiest girl in the whole world!" May you always possess such self-confidence!

When you aren't busy admiring your reflection, you often pretend to talk in Russian, or as you put it, "speak Russia." Your bestie is fluent in Russian and you hear her speak it all of the time, so you babble nonsense words and pretend you are speaking it, too.

In other Mackenzie-is-so-cute news, I do really love how passionate you are about eating. I made red velvet cookies for Valentine's Day and when you saw them, your eyes lit up and you smiled the biggest smile--or so I thought, because when you bit into one, your eyes lit up even more and you smiled an even bigger smile. I find such joy in eating and I'm glad you do, too! And when I made sundried tomato cheddar bread this week, you looked so content as you took a bite and even offered very thoughtful commentary: "It's salty and sweet and crunchy and soft and so good." Thanks!

Love,

Mom

A Girl's Best Friends

Dear Mackenzie,

We were on the couch and I had a blanket on my lap. You pulled the blanket off of me and said, "Don't hug the blanket, hug me instead!" Okay! Also, OMG, you get sooooo happy and excited over a) chocolate and b) new girly clothing. It's so cute!

Love,

Mom

Fore!

Dear Mackenzie,

You say "headfore" instead of "forehead." Love it! I also love how comically dramatic you can be. You cleaned up your room today and when you were done, you sighed heavily, wiped your arm across your "headfore" and said wearily, "I finally done with all my housework. I'm so exhausted from all my housework." You even shook your head a little and did a little, "Whew." Hahaha! Where did you learn that from? I know I am exhausted all of the time but I don't do that! 

Love,

Mom

Sad Games

Dear Mackenzie,

This morning, you found a stack of the cloth face masks we all had to wear during the height of the pandemic (why does that already feel as if it was a lifetime ago when it's really only been a few years?). You put them on you and a couple of your stuffies and said you all had Covid, which was giving me all kinds of negative feels. Mmmkay, maybe stop telling me that you have a life-threatening disease, even if it is pretend? I don't know if that game was better or worse than the time JieJie and Second GuhGaw packed up their backpacks, sat in the hallway and pretended to be homeless. I overheard them talking about how they had no food and needed to beg for money. Seriously, where is the game where my kids pretend they have MBAs and seven-figure salaries?!?

Love,

Mom

Healthy Appetite

Dear Mackenzie,

Oh, the way you say "banilla" instead of "vanilla!"

Also, I find it funny that both of my sons are picky eaters with small appetites while my daughters are not picky and have big appetites! After school yesterday, you ate a plate of strawberries. An hour later at dinner, you had a bowl of shakshuka, half a piece of chicken Florentine with a few scoops of pearled barley, a smoothie and a couple more strawberries. And yet you asked for more food! And when I said you'd eaten enough, you whined for ten minutes: "I'm so huuuungry! My stomach needs fooooood! Can I have more foooooood? Pleeeeease?!" OMG, you acted as if you hadn't eaten in days when you actually ate more at dinner than I did!

Love,

Mom

Book Hauler

Dear Mackenzie,

Yesterday, JieJie and I were moving a bunch of kids' books from the first-floor study to the attic. You were eating a snack and when I came down from my first trip up to the attic, you were standing in the second-floor hallway holding a very heavy set of Dog Man books. You'd finished your snack, washed your hands and taken it upon yourself to not only help us move the books but to bring up the heaviest ones. I'm actually really surprised that you were able to carry the whole set of hardcover books up the stairs by yourself but as you're always reminding me: "I have muscles!" Thank you, sweet girl, for always noticing when others need help and for jumping in to help. You are amazing!!

Love,

Mom

Dragon Drama

Dear Mackenzie,

Recent Mackenzie funnies:

-We went out on Saturday and Daddy and I bought you and your siblings ice cream. You got a big scoop of Rocky Road and ate it so happily. When you finished, your eyes were twinkling and you said with the biggest smile on your face, "I finished my ice cream! Can I have more?"

-You told me, "When I grow up, I want to be a big sister." Um, no.

-We watched Wish Dragon last night (aka Aladdin but with Chinese people) and there was a scene where the character was looking for the dragon. He opened the lid of the teapot and boom! The dragon's eye was peering out at him. That scared you so much that you screamed, your eyes bugged out and you frantically waved your hands up and down for a good 10 seconds--you looked like the way a cartoon character looks when it gets scared! I'm so sorry the movie scared you but your reaction was really cute!

Love,

Mom

Stepping Aside

Dear Mackenzie,

We were walking home from school with your bestie today when the two of you stopped on the sidewalk to look at some plants. You noticed a group of people walking toward us and you immediately stepped off of the sidewalk and into the grass so that they could pass. Later tonight, I asked you to clean up your Legos and then get into bed while I went to brush GuhGaw's teeth. After I was done with GuhGaw, I saw you climb out of bed and told you to get back in. You replied, "I forgot to clean up my Legos so I'm cleaning them up now. I'm being 'sponsible." Thank you, sweetheart, for being so thoughtful AND 'sponsible! That makes me so proud!

Love,

Mom

Self-Assured

Dear Mackenzie,

Last week, we were playing in the attic when you jumped over a toy and then said, "Good jump!" When you came home from school today and told me about your game of hide-and-seek, you said, "Mrs. K said I'm good on hiding." Later at night, you called out, "Mama, where are you?" I said I was in my room and you replied, "I guessed you were in your room. Good guess of me!" I love your self-confidence!

I also love how funny and silly you are. I was exercising in my room when you came in and asked me if I could play with you. I said I just wanted to finish my crunches first. You then proceeded to have the following pretend conversation with me:

You: Mama, can you play with me?

You (as me): No, give me second. Can't you see I'm doing something?

You: But I want you to play with me.

You (as me): I know you want me to play with you but I have to do my work.

The funny part was that you said your part in a high-pitched voice and my part in a deep robotic voice. Is that what I sound like? And thank you for letting me finish my mini workout! We did play afterward!

Love,

Mom

Triple M

Dear Mackenzie,

We have a few phrases that are specific to just us:

Run hug: when I squat down, you scurry to the opposite end of the room or hallway and run toward me until I catch you in my arms and give you a big hug; sometimes, you and I will be in different areas of the house and I'll hear you shout your request, "Mama! Run hug!"

Squiggly hill: the hilly street near our house where the sidewalk curves in this unusual S-like shape instead of being straight like most other sidewalks; the first time we walked home via that street, you said, "Oooh, squiggly hill!" and now if you want to walk home that way, you chirp, "Squiggly hill!"

Mama-Mackenzie Morning: last year, you and I had a four-hour window of time between the time your siblings all left for school and the time I had to take you to school and we started calling them Mama-Mackenzie Mornings; now whenever it's just the two of us at home, you say, "Yay! Mama-Mackenzie Morning!"

Love,

Mom

Million Dollar Listing

Dear Mackenzie,

I constantly have music playing in our house. Whether I am listening to BTS on my iPad as I'm cooking dinner or dancing to a Dua Lipa playlist on YouTube while I'm folding laundry, the sounds of one song or another are almost always traveling through our hallways. You are so used to this constant music that when there isn't any, you immediately ask me, "Can I put on a song?" I usually say yes and you run to get my iPad, which you know how to navigate in order to get to your favorite songs (which are currently "You Need To Stay Calm" by Taylor Swift and "I'm A Mess" by AJR--you call the latter "The Elmo Song" because the singer dresses up like Elmo in the music video; I don't think you even know the actual "Elmo Song," even though your siblings were all obsessed with it at your age). 

Tonight, you had to use the bathroom and it was a #2, so I said I was going to clean up the kitchen while I waited for you to finish. I said I'd put on some music for you before I went downstairs and you were so grateful, you shouted from the bathroom, "Thank you, Mama! I love you one million dollars around the whole world!" Whoa, that's a lot!

Love,

Mom

Crisscross

Dear Mackenzie,

Cute things you said recently:

-"Mama, wait! I have to get something from Sawyer's room. It won't take long."

-"It's a beautiful day today! Let's go for a walk!"

-"Mama, I'm so glad I have you."

Funny things you do:

-You cross your eyes at the most random times, like when I'm brushing your teeth or washing your hair. It always cracks me up and you know it always cracks me up, so you cross your eyes often. It especially cracks me up when you cross your eyes AND curl your tongue at the same time. You look like a cartoon!

-You still love it when we do our "run hugs" and charge at me with such enthusiasm and excitement! But you know that you are stronger and heavier now, so you are kind enough to slow down right before you get to me so that you don't knock me over! 

-When I'm showering you, you like it when I spray the shower head at your belly while you squeeze your belly. It's so weird and cute!

Funny thing you said today:

-At your annual checkup in December, the doctor said you have high cholesterol. Wha?!? I wonder if the results were skewed because the day before the party, you'd had your school holiday party, where you had consumed multiple cupcakes and cookies. However, you do have a big sweet tooth that I often indulge with all of my baking, plus you also really like cheese. So we are cutting back on the cheese and sweets, which I know will be hard because you're used to eating lots of string cheese and getting dessert every day. Tonight, we finished eating dinner and you asked, "Can I have a treat?" I went into a whole spiel: "Your doctor said you have been eating too many treats, so we're only going to have dessert on Wednesdays and Fridays. I know you love dessert, and I do, too, but it's important to be healthy and we have to eat less sweets from now on. So we can't have a treat every day, just sometimes." You listened intently and nodded, and when I was done, you asked, "Can I have a treat?" It might be a long year.

Love,

Mom