Five! (and two months...)

Just like fire, burnin' up the way

if I could light the world up for just one day

watch this madness, colorful charade.

No one can be Just Like Me, anyway! 

- Pink

Dear Lil Lobster Roll,

 Five. A whole hand. Five going on sixteen it seems sometimes. You are becoming an amazing little lady right before our eyes. You've been working your way through your final pre-k school year at the head of your class, and I'm not just talking academically. Apparently you're the best helper at cleaning up, even when the mess isn't yours, you stand up for other kids getting picked on, and you are a natural leader in all things play and fashion. You really do embody all of the qualities I strive to have, and i am so incredibly proud of you.

You keep your intelligence on the down low, not because you lack confidence, but because it doesn't seem to matter to you. Your priorities are more with just making sure everyone is happy, and then you'll randomly pipe up with some little known fact you learned a year ago, add some random numbers, or belt out a song you've heard once word for word. One of your favorite hobbies is following us around asking how to spell things and listing them in your little notebook, getting to the point where you're starting to sound them out yourself.

Every single day you come home from school with no less than three cards you've made with "mommy, daddy, gobbles, baby" listed on the front and a family picture drawn inside, where we're holding flowers or lollipops and smiling broadly. Your family is your number one priority and you show us every day how we mean the world to you (and vice versa of course). You're like Poppy from your current favorite movie Trolls- relying on hugs and positivity to fix anything. Whenever I greet Daddy with a hug and a kiss you jump up, announce "group hug!" and grab your brother and all come into the fold. I love it, the affection and the warmth, I hope it never changes.

Besides Trolls, other current favorites are Elena of Avalor, Phineas and Ferb, and just about any random girlie cartoon you can find on Netflix. All you talk about planning-wise is when we can go back on the Disney Cruise ship, 3 days of an 8 day Thanksgiving trip we took back in November that you and your brother have not stopped talking about. Daddy and I love that you've been bit by the travel bug like we have, and when you get older we promise to expand your horizons beyond the big Mouse.

As far as extra curriculars, I feel I've loaded you up for your last year before you start full day Kindergarten and we lose our Mommy-Lobster Fridays. You did soccer in the fall where you of course ran circles around the boys, have been doing dance since September with your bff K, started gymnastics in January as the youngest in the class but had no problem catching up, and pretty soon tball season starts. The only girl on the team but I know you're gonna kick butt anyway.

You have done a lot of growing in the last year, partly due to things beyond your control. When we lost Spoons in September I feel like you took it the worst, still crying out how much you miss her whenever you are tired or upset in some way. But then you always turn it around and discuss her during happy times too- talking about what she's doing in Heaven right now and having faith that she is still with us. Beneath your tough girl exterior you do have an extremely sensitive side that usually comes out when your overtired, that's when we just really watch out because any wrong word can set you off and we get a little preview of our teenage munchkin. It's ok though, your emotions are yours and you're still learning to handle the explosion that happens when you bottle them up.

Well munch, five is going to bring about huge changes for you- a new brother or sister, heading off to the big school with your brother, and a little less one on one time with me that we've enjoyed the last two years. I know I'm going to miss it because I love spending time with you, but I know you are going to do great as a big sister and a big kindergartener. I am so proud of the amazing, kind, smart, beautiful little lady you have become inside and out and can't wait to continue sharing in your love of life and family.

Love,
Mommy