Dear Alexis,
Happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you're old enough to read this, then you are old enough to know that I just used my annual quotient for exclamation points in one sentence. In this case, it's very much so warranted. You have been looking forward to this day since your fourth birthday, and perhaps even before that. I had convinced myself that it was normal for a kid to have selected a theme for their next six birthday parties, but one of your preschool teachers mentioned this morning that she has never seen someone your age so excited for a birthday. I'm pretty sure that's means you're a nutball. (Oh, and seriously? You really want a Santa birthday next year? I will sacrifice and leave the Christmas decorations up that long, but only if you really want me to. Ahem.)
The other reason all of those exclamation points belong up there is that DUDE, WE HAVEN'T BROKEN YOU YET! Call it luck or whatever, but somehow, some way, you still sparkle just like you have since the day you were born. Your heart still glows brightly, filling the people around you with warmth and joy. You spread your enthusiasm for life with random trails of brightness here and there and everywhere. Don't ever stop sparkling, kid.
Alexis, I often think you came into this world for the sole purpose of teaching people how to be happy. It's your strongest skill, the thing that you do best. When you grin, the world grins with you. When you laugh, I guarantee the world laughs with you. When you stop to enjoy the little things, you teach everyone just how good life can be. You have taught me to stop and enjoy every minute, and then listened when I have taught you the same lesson before turning it back around on me again. You sometimes break a cranky mood by asking me a question that I've asked you many times, "Do you want to have a good day today or a bad day today?" Thank you for teaching me that it is a choice. Thank you for always choosing to have a good day. Thank you for sharing the will to be happy with me.
This is the year that you made the most of those good days as you sparkled your way into being a Kid. An honest-to-goodness Kid. When we first moved into this house just over a year ago, you couldn't reach the light switches. Now you don't even have to stand on your tiptoes. You've shed most of your Toddler-speak, leaving me to cherish "Sgabetti" and a few other rare linguistic gifts. You've left little kid music in the dust, instead preferring to listen to Phantom of the Opera and Katy Perry and Lady Gaga at top volume. Your tastes may be a bit suspect at times, but your enthusiasm squashes my thoughts of complaining.
Five.
It's a big deal, kid.
I hope your fifth birthday lived up to your expectations, and I hope every day that is to come exceeds those expectations. I live to fuel your sparkle, kid. Let's go have an amazing year together, OK?
Love,
Momma
P.S. Thank you for still calling me, "Momma" and not the more grown-up variation "Mom." Every time you say it, you send a flash of happy my way.
