Dear Ava,
I am writing this letter to commemorate your 5th birthday. Each year I hope to write you a letter at your birthday time to record some thoughts and observations of you throughout the past year.
Age 4....It was a year of some progress, I would say. You continued to attend Kindercare for your preschool, and then in January I made your hours less at Kindercare and I put you in Miss Lori's preschool for a few hours a week. You liked Miss Lori's preschool better than Kindercare and you were always excited to go there. Your graduation program from Miss Lori's took place in May and you did a fabulous job at singing your songs and demonstrating your newfound knowledge. Also this year, you took part in Miss Karen's "My Kind of Music" class where you learned all sorts of songs and performed with your class in December. You were in that class with Chloe and Noah, your cousins on the Luke side. You did very well in that music class and seemed to have enjoyed it a lot. You knew all the words to your songs for your program...You had no problem memorizing them and enjoying the performing side of things. Andi started kindergarten this year so you had more alone time at home with me. We had our routines and during the day you and I had pretty peaceful days, for the most part.
You have a very unique, strong, and distinct personality with many strengths and weaknesses; that is becoming more and more apparent as you get older. You are extremely exuberant and passionate. You are incredibly smart when you want to be....You know your alphabet, your numbers, shapes, you can even do some math quite easily too. You seem to be drawn towards numbers, formulas, and organization. You thrive on routine and you don't like unpredictability. You don't seem to be as drawn towards language-type things, nor do you like physical games or sports of any kind. It has been quite a journey getting you to ride your Cinderella bike we got you for your 4th birthday. But after much effort and persistence, you will ride now with ease (when you want to.) We even got to get you to ride yourself down our hill to the tennis courts. You took swimming lessons again this summer and you seemed to really enjoy it, which was a good thing to see. You are definitely one to take it safe in the water, but I have been proud of how much you've tried to improve and be brave. We had Cherry Hill season passes this summer and you got pretty dang good at keepin' up with your sisters and cousins.
One of the big things we've had to work on this year was to "use your words." You have gotten better at that and it's always good to see those moments when you do choose to stay calm and talk your way out of difficulty.
You love to watch "My Little Pony" shows, you love to play Minecraft with your dad and sisters (you seem very drawn toward video games), and you are great at puzzles. You'll spend a long time working on them by yourself in a room. You enjoy watching "Super Why" on tv and you also like to get up really early in the morning. You love cereal, mac and cheese, and pizza (especially when you can pick the cheese off and eat it first.) You also love chocolate milk and juice of any kind (what kid doesn't?)
The year ahead is going to be a big year for you. I have spent a considerable amount of time getting nervous for what lies ahead this year. Starting kindergarten and getting a new baby sister are two very big changes to go through. I am so happy for you that you get to be a big sister...It will be a wonderful opportunity for you to learn and grow from and to enjoy. Sisters are wonderful people to have in your life. I know, however, that having a baby sister in the home will present new challenges for you. I hope and pray that not only this year, but throughout your life, you can find joy in being her big sister and that you can be an example to her. I pray that you can know that you will always have your own special place in this family and in life. You are special, unique, and totally YOU....You are loved by so many. I hope you can know those things and feel confident in knowing your are a daughter of God...truly unique with many amazing gifts that can bless others. I hope and pray that you will make good choices that will bless your own life and bless that will bless those around you. I know with all of my heart that making good choices and staying close to Heavenly Father will bring you the ultimate peace and happiness that everyone needs in life. You are no exception to that. Turn to your Heavenly Father. He is always there for you. And please know that I am here for you, that I'm committed to you, and that I love you. I may not always love the choices you make, but I love YOU and that will never change. I will always be here for you when you want me to be.
Here's to a good year ahead! Age 5--Go Ava!
Mommy Lisa
