Being 5

Alexis,
I was all set to write up a post about the 5-year-old you,
and then last weekend happened.
And I think it paints a pretty accurate picture about being 5.
Because, in the course of three days….
you learned how to do the monkey bars
you learned to ride your bike without training wheels
and you scored your first soccer goal in a game (spring soccer just started up).
And that, in a nutshell, is what a lot of your days are looking like lately.
You are no longer our baby, no longer our little girl.
At 5, we are seeing flashes, seeing snapshots of the big girl you're turning into.


When you put your mind to something,
the world is your oyster.
You are a very determined little lady.
You come by this naturally.
And it's pretty darn amazing to sit back and watch.

You take a swim class with two buddies and everything is just clicking.
You will be a little fish at the UP Pool this summer.
You are a monkey at the playground -
running as fast as all the boys
(according to your Grandpa Tom - who is not one to give compliments unless they are warranted),
scaling the slide, zipping down the fireman's pole,
initiating a game of freeze tag or hide 'n seek.

You memorized how to spell your last name this month,
so you now sign everything "Alexis Hamilton".
With just a little help, you can count to 100.
You know what sound every letter of the alphabet makes,
so I imagine reading is the next big hurdle.
You have made friends throughout your preschool,
stopping by each PreK room to greet them in the mornings.
You continue to love arts 'n crafts and can always been found
coloring, painting, drawing and playing with play doh.
You are creating cool art projects each week at Kid Art.
The artistic gene skipped your mom and dad,
so we are impressed by the water colors, clay creations
and pastel-based pictures you bring home.
You are involved in all sorts of activities these days -
swim class, dance class, art class and spring soccer.
You're begging to start up again with gymnastics,
and you stay for lunch bunch at school a few days per week.
It must be the age, because you can go-go-go without ever stopping for a break.

You have two very best friends from class, Ava and Callie.
You call yourselves "the besties".
You race over to greet each other as soon as you all arrive at school.
We have playgroups with them frequently,
and you're always coming home with notes or pictures they made you (and vice versa).
You have your first real "crush" - a sweet boy from your class named Harrison.
He made you a picture, and the smile on your face spanned from ear to ear.

You continue to love being outdoors - riding your bike, riding your scooter,
going on a walk to Starbucks, going to the playground, having a picnic in our yard.
Doesn't matter what we do, you just love the great outdoors.
You dress yourself these days…
coming downstairs decked out in matching accessories and headbands.
You have quite a sense of fashion - like your nanny and your cousin, Courtney.
You still love dress up and nearly every play date includes time as princesses.
Like every kid in America, you simply adore the movie "Frozen"
and sing the songs from it all day long.
You have a real sweet tooth and will do just about anything if it means getting a treat or dessert.
You love baking and are happiest in the kitchen with me, whipping up some chocolate chip cookies.
You are a book lover and a bedtime staller.
You love special trips and outings, just you and me or just you and daddy.

You thrive on attention and praise.
You are bossy, strong willed and stubborn.
We are constantly encouraging you to be a flexible friend,
to let others be in charge once in a while, to understand that things can't always go your way.
You like to test boundaries, so we butt heads from time to time.
Part of it is your age, part of it is just your personality.
Given the right guidance, we know that this confidence will be an asset down the road.
But right now, you give us a run for our money.

That being said, you are a caring friend with a big heart.
When someone falls at soccer, you race over to ensure they're okay.
When a friend loses at a game, you offer encouragement.
When your sister gets upset, you give her a hug and help to make her smile.
Some mornings, I see you on the monitor, climbing into her crib, then reading to her,
all on your own, just to make her happy.
And so, on Tuesday I will head over to the elementary school to register you for kindergarten.
Our 5 year old.
And while the snapshots of the 6 month old learning how to sit up,
and the 1 year old learning to do "so big",
and the 2 year old learning how to jump for the first time
are still so very fresh in our minds, we know you are ready.
You can't wait to be at the "big kid school"!
So these days, we are storing different snapshots away.
The 5 year old who rode her bike all the way around the track,
the 5 year old who whizzes around the playground in a flash,
the 5 year old who beats us at tic tac toe and eye spy.
No longer our baby….on the way to becoming our big girl.

This is 2

The non-stop birthday and holiday season is behind us now.
The girls aren't stepping foot on another airplane for at least a few months.
School's back in session,
and life has returned to normal.
Which means it's high time for a little recap about our little ladies.
First up is Ryleigh!

At 2:
You are filled with joy and happiness.
Not only that, but you spread joy and happiness to everyone you encounter.
Truly!
Ask your grandparents. Ask your teachers. Ask my girlfriends. Ask the moms in playgroup.
Your easy grin, your smiley eyes, your infectious giggle, your sweet-as-can-be pigtails…
you are the very definition of joyful.
It's the simple pleasures in life that bring you the greatest happiness -
and that, my dear, is a quality we hope you'll always hold on to.

At 2, your personality is growing by the day.
You were late to talk.
You've been working with a delightful speech therapist for several months now,
and it's all starting to click.
You are starting to count to ten.
You now know all of your colors.
You are recognizing shapes.
You are starting to say three and four word phrases.
You are singing along to songs you hear.
And, as your speech grows and grows, so does your personality.

You are still a climber, you are still a little monkey.
You jumped upon your new scooter and never looked back.
You learned how to drive the new Barbie jeep around the block.
You grip your sister's balance bike so tightly that no one can pull you off it.
If mommy or daddy turn around at the playground,
you sneak off to to the top of the big slide, or climb up the ladder without a second thought.
You so badly want to keep up with your big sister…and most times you just about can.

On that note, you love Alexis dearly.
Lexi is a hard name for a toddler to say,
so several months back you gave her the nickname "Yaya"
and it has stuck.
We all call her that now.
You want to be just like her, you want her attention and her praise,
and you want desperately to be included in her "big kid" world.
There is perhaps no greater gift for parents
than to watch the bond between their children blossom and thrive.
It seems just about every day lately, where your daddy and I just sit back and watch you two together,
and smile. What a blessing you girls are…to us AND to each other.

At 2, you love arts and crafts, you love coloring, you love legos, and trains and especially, books.
At 2, you love your crib dearly. You are always ready for your nap and always ready for bedtime.
At 2, you love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but your attention span is still awfully short for television.
At 2, you love to be outside, pushing your grocery cart, taking your baby doll for a walk,
running over to all the neighborhood dogs…anything, just to be outside.

At 2, you love going to Mother's Day Out. The same smile you have when I drop you off in the morning greets me at pick-up three hours later.
At 2, you are starting to make your very first friends.
You recognize and race over to Bennett at gym class now, and both Emily and Cody at their houses,
and your playgroup buddies each Tuesday afternoon.
You always have a smile, hug and high five ready for your pals.
That being said, lately you are having a very tough time sharing with these pals.
You want what you want, and you can be feisty when you don't get your way.
We are starting to discipline you,
so that the terrible 2's are more often than not the terrific 2's instead.
At 2, you are coming out of your shell…greeting cashiers at the grocery store, asking neighbors "How are you?", waving hello to anyone we pass on our walks, saying hi to any baby you come across.
At 2, you are a people pleaser.
You thrive on attention and praise, always shouting "At me mama, at me daddy"
which means you want us to check out one of your new skills.
You love our attention, and you get so, so upset if you get yelled at.
At 2, you are our sweet little lady who we love so very dearly!