Happy Birthday Princess

Dear Abs,

As I write this I am thinking about 6 years ago tonight.  

I had just about gotten my epidural and probably stopped swearing and threatening the lives of all hospital personnel around me.  

It had been a long day and I had high hopes for a "natural" delivery.

How was I to know that you would prove, right from birth, 

that you had your own way of doing things?

And here we are, on your 6th birthday, constantly in awe, in admiration, completely dumbfounded by your way of doing things.  

People say "Girls!  Be patient, it only gets worse before it gets better!"

And your smart mouth and quick wit and precious sensitivity challenges me, pleases me, entertains me, frustrates me and energizes me each day.

I have never known anything that could fill my heart with such love, such pride and such frustration - often at the same time.

6 years old is so big.  It's not 3 or 4.  

It's kindergarten and riding the bus and dealing with girl drama and school work and friends.

I love that.

 I love that your dream is to be a singer.  

I love that you dance with the freedom of pure joy.  

I love that you hang out in your room and listen to music or

sit in your beanbag chair and play your Leapster.  

I love listening to your endless imagination as you play with your dollies 

or your Barbies or your Lalaloopsies.  

I love that you sled down the hill with the same exuberance that you run back up with.  

I love that you come off the bus crying because someone else's feelings get hurt but 

that when someone hurts your feelings you can say "maybe they were just feeling sad about themself".  I love that you talk to me about everything.  

(Everything.  All the time.  Without stop.  Ever.  Always talking.  About everything...)  

I love that when I am in your classroom you are so happy that I'm there, 

but you get your work done anyway.  

I love that when I watch you in dance class you act like I'm not there and focus on your moves.  

I love that you have best friends and boy friends and friends' moms that are your friends, too.

You bring happiness into the room with you.

Your smile is contagious.

The things you say, the faces you make, the stuff you do,

the art you create, the songs you make up, the dances you perform...  

everything that makes you who you are is what makes us so happy to have you.

Happy birthday, baby.  Always know that you are smart, kind, brave, funny and loved.  

So loved.