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.