72 Months (6 years) with Molly Pop!

Dear Molly,

Today you are 6 years old and I want to know where the time has gone. They are serious when they say, "the days are long but the years are short." I could have sworn it was just a few months ago that you were a tiny baby who depended on me for everything. Now you confidently march down the street to see if the neighbors are home and beg for me to let you walk to school alone (not yet, lady!).  You've also lost so many teeth this year. You are seriously a bit of a Jack-o-Lantern.

I haven't written one of these letters in a very long time but I'm glad to be doing so now. You started kindergarten this year and are just thriving. You really do dislike the early start and getting you out of bed is such a struggle but once you are at school, your eyes light up and you are in heaven! You also started Girl Scouts and are a Daisy. You ask me almost every day if it is a Girl Scout day and even though Wednesdays are long with swimming, you love it. You are also in ballet again at Level 1 and really working hard. You say it tires you out. You also got a kitten this year. His name is Lewis and he is such a wild guy.

You are not quite reading yet but oh you are so close. We practice your sight words and you practice reading books with us. We fill in the words you don't know and you read the words you do know. You love counting to 100 as we walk places. You also learned to ride a two-wheel bike this summer and were so proud of your accomplishment. It's so awesome watching you grow and learn.

We've done a lot of traveling this year - we went to Glacier National Park, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons along with visiting San Jose, CA, the San Juan Islands, Long Beach, Spokane, Portland and going to Disneyland. You LOVED Disneyland and really want to go back. Your favorite thing to do is stay in hotels, play on the luggage carts and swim in the hotel pools.

Your birthday party is tomorrow and you were so clear on what you wanted - a Moana Pool Party at the local pool. You told me what to order and who to invite. I'm looking forward to the fun!

This year you'll grow more self-sufficient but I do love it when you ask for cuddle time with me. Hopefully you'll always ask and I'll always give them to you. It's so much fun being your Mom and watching you grow. Happy Birthday Molly-Pop!

xoxo,

Mom (and Dad and Maggie)

Dear Molly on Your First Day of Kindergarten

Dear Molly,

This morning you headed off to your first day of kindergarten. It feels like just yesterday, you were a tiny baby wrapped up in my arms. This morning, you confidently marched to school, commanding us to follow. There was hesitation in your body, at the last minute where you told me, you did not want to go but with a gentle push, you were on your way.

I'm so excited for you to start this journey. You had an amazing time at Small Faces but this is the school you will remember. These are the teachers who will shape you. Your preschool teachers gave you a great start and for that we can always be grateful.

This year I hope you learn to love school. I hope you learn to count to 500. I hope you keep calling numbers letters and letters numbers. I can't wait to watch you really learn how to read. It's going to be an amazing year of growth.

In a few short hours, I'll head back to the school to pick you up. I can't wait to hear about your day. I'm sure you'll just tell me it was good but I'm going to try to gently prod some information out of you. I also can't wait to see how little of your lunch you ate. The lunch I lovingly packed last night.

I love you, Molly Pop! We are all so proud of you and can't wait to hear how your first day of Kindergarten went!

xoxo,

Mom and Dad (and Maggie too)

54 Months (4.5 Years) with Molly Pop!

Dear Molly,

I went looking back for your 4-year-old update and I can't believe that I didn't write you a letter! I must have gotten caught up in the holiday celebrations and never got one written.

Four has been amazing though. This year, you started at a drop-off preschool which you love. You are starting to recognize letters and can spell your name like a champ! You can *almost* swim on your own. You are so close that I hold my breathe while I watch you try your hardest.

You take ballet classes once a week and alternate between loving them and not wanting to go to them. You were awesome at your ballet recital on Father's Day. You were a cat and told me all about your special cat ears which for some reason did not make it into the recital. I conquered the high bun your teacher wanted for your recital hair do. You looked so grown up with your mascara and hair that it made me cry a little bit.

You have a ton of sass. Your favorite expression is, "HOW DARE YOU!" with a hip twitch and curl of your lip. I try so hard not to giggle. We're already started having serious discussions about why you can't watch certain shows and whatnot. It's hard to be firm but so important too.

You have two best friends, Penelope and Lorelei who you are going to miss next year when you move to the pre-K class room at school. Penelope is staying in your old classroom and Lorelei is headed off to Kindergarten. I know you'll still have fun though in your new room, just as you've had fun in your current classroom.

We went to Suncadia for Dad's birthday and you had a grand time again. You love going there and made me do the Thousand Stairs twice. I also took you to family boot camp at my gym which wore you out. It was the best!

You are a prolific artist and will spend hours coloring in your books and then hanging the pictures on your bedroom wall. I love indulging your artistic qualities. I have piles of your art on the bookcase in the living room, waiting to be displayed. I really need to get on that.

Molly, you are growing up to be a kind, caring kid with big thoughts and huge emotions. I love how much care you have for others, your zest for life and your adventuresome spirit! 

42 Months with Molly Pop!

Dear Molly,

Wow! Three and a half is so very hard. It's hard for you to have such big emotions and it has been hard for us to deal with your big emotions. Having said that, I do so love the little person you have become. We have the silliest conversations. The other day, while enjoying Fro-Yo, I asked you what you wanted to be when you grow up. You told me that you want to be a Unicorn. Then you turned the tables on me and asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Talk about putting me in the hot seat! 

You love your little sister so much. I can practically see your heart swelling with love when you look at her. The two of you have started playing together and getting in trouble together. I love seeing the two of you plotting together. I'm not sure that I'm a huge fan of your escapades but I love watching the two of you bond together. 

In the past six months, you've graduated from speech therapy, started ballet lessons, kept up on your gymnastics, taken an all girls road trip with your sister and me, visited Suncadia with the family, gotten your second haircut, saw your first movie in the theatre, had your tv viewing cut down, started swim lessons again and survived the worst flu/sickness to have hit this family ever. 

Molly, you are turning out to be one great kid. Whenever we go out, I get told what a cute girl you are and how wonderful you are. I believe this to be true so I like having my beliefs reinforced. You are pretty darn cute and quite wonderful. You also have amazing hair which would be even more amazing if you would just let me brush it! 

Your school photo was amazing this year! You wanted to wear your tiara (I bought a dozen of them and hand them out at will) and you let me curl your hair. I've been joking that this is your parade princess photo but I'm only partially joking. 

I'm looking forward to seeing what the next six months bring. We have a fun summer planned and then you start drop-off preschool in the Fall. You'll be going four days a week and I am so excited for you. You always say that preschool is your favorite thing so I'm hoping you like four days of your favorite thing. Until then though we are going to fill our Summer with swimming, hikes, adventures and so much fun! 

We love you so much, Molly Pop! You are one damn awesome kid! 

36 Months with Molly Pop!

Photo Credit: Sweet Peeks Photography

Dear Molly,

Today you are THREE YEARS OLD! It's so exciting and you have changed so much since my last letter to you. In the past six months, you've started talking better, learned how to use the potty, visited Hawaii, lost your Poppa (Grandpa), become the best Big Sister ever, started gymnastics and have continued to be the most Amazing Molly Pop

In the past few weeks, you've conquered potty training and are quite the champ. Maybe you'll potty train Maggie when the time comes? Your many play dates now include some dual potty sitting time with your friends. It is hilarious to see you and your friends sitting on the potty, talking to each other. 

We had your birthday party at the Zoo this past weekend and you had a blast! You requested a Unicorn theme so I went with a Rainbow Unicorn theme. I even made you a Rainbow Unicorn cake! I may have reached my birthday cake pinnacle. 

We made rainbow play dough together and gave them to your friends as party favors. I've heard reports that your guests have been busy playing with the party favor all day. 

You've been going to Co-Op preschool two days a week. I drop you off one day and stay with you on the other. You LOVE it! Next year we plan to have you go to a drop off preschool, four days a week. I suspect that you'll have a grand time. 

You started speech therapy in June and you are doing gang-busters. We can finally understand you and that has helped so much with everyone's frustration levels. You love seeing Miss Deanna every Monday and I think she enjoys spending time with you. 

Earlier this month, we went to Hawaii which you loved! You had so much fun and it was a pretty great trip. We spent a lot of time in the pool, on the beach and explored a lot of Maui. 

The day before we left for Maui, was Halloween! You went as a Mermaid and Maggie as your sidekick, a Crab. You loved your costume and wore it most of the time we were in Hawaii. 

We also did our annual Pumpkin Patch visit with Ruby. You guys have grown so much in the past few years. I'm glad that you two are friends and that we have this little tradition going on. 

My friends visited from England in October and you were smitten with them. I can't say I blame you as I'm quite smitten with them too. We took them to Mt. Rainier, showed them around town and had a blast. 

Photo Credit: Sweet Peeks Photography

You also started Gymnastics with your BFF, Norah and you LOVE it! I wasn't sure about the cost but I'm so glad that we signed you up. You are having so much fun and gaining so much skill. 

Photo Credit: Sweet Peeks Photography

You are quite the little TV addict and your Dad and I are working to reduce your screen time. You love watching Sofia the First, Umizoomi, Super Why, Dora the Explorer and anything with Mermaids. Due to the chaotic nature of these past few months, I've been letting you watch more tv than you should but we're getting back on track. Some is ok, A lot is not. 

Oh Molly Pop, you are a joy to Mother. We love you so much even when you don't sleep and try to keep the entire household up all night. We have seen a glimpse of three and it scares us. We love you so, so, so very much and are so lucky to have you in our family. 

Photo Credit: Sweet Peeks Photography