Happy Birthday Madelyn!

Dear Madelyn,

I know you thought this day would NEVER come and that you've been (im)patiently waiting for it to arrive for the past 7 months, but today you are FINALLY 4! (or as I'm sure you'll put it, almost 5!)

(Freshly born, age 1, age 2, age 3, age 4!)

You are my sing-song kid. You have a song in your heart and you just have to get it out. You don't care where you are or who is listening or even what you're singing about, you just always are. Thankfully the pitch and rhythm has greatly improved. :)

Some things that I'm enjoying about you right now:

• This year has sprouted a whole bunch of independence from you. Sometimes this is great, other times, it's not my favourite. :) But I love to watch you grow and learn and I love how excited you get when you figure something out for yourself.
• You are so perceptive. If I go a different route home or to a store you are aware right away.
• You have taken quite the fascination in letters. I think you'll be reading before too much longer. Once we get the lowercase letters under our belt and can remember all the sound combinations.
• Purple is your favourite colour.
• You learned your first "stupid human trick" and can curl your tongue into a clover. You show everyone who will look.
• You love peanut butter and honey. You would eat it every day if I let you.
• Ever since you cut your hair you're obsessed with how "long" it's getting. You don't seem to understand that it doesn't grow overnight by 3 inches.
• You don't like vegetables. I don't actually enjoy this. But I like the creative excuses you come up with for not eating them.
• You love to dance. And twirl. If every skirt I made you spun like your pettiskirt, you would be in heaven. I don't know how you don't get dizzy.
• I love how you take care of your sister (when you're not fighting with her). Especially when you're playing with groups of kids you always watch out for her, even without being asked. You do that for other younger kids too. It warms my heart.
• You are OBSESSED with Toopy and Binoo. You think they're SO funny. I can't say I feel the same way. But I'll give them credit for teaching you all about patterns with their online games. So I guess it's not all bad.
• You are full of anticipation! I have to be careful not to tell you about things too early or you'll talk about them obsessively and whine and fuss about how it's taking so long for that day to come. But I sure love your excitement about things! Even little things like someone coming over to play or going to a favourite store in the morning.

I'm sadly aware that this is the last year of you being a preschooler and I intend to gobble up every minute with you this year. How did those years go by so quickly?

(while going through pictures I found some of Mady and Makenna at each birthday party. Aww!)

Know that we love you and love all the fun and joy you bring to our lives. Daddy and I often comment on how boring our life must have been before you came along!

Happy Birthday!


Love Mommy, Daddy and Kaitlyn