5 years old

Little Kaylee,

You are 5 years old today! 5 seems like a significant age because you are officially school age! Although I miss carrying you around on my hip, your need to always hold my hand (although you still hold my hand) and witnessing all the first milestones for the baby book I am so enjoying this childhood phase. I feel like a broken record writing these, every year I seem to like your age and motherhood more.

Once upon a time you were my shadow, a mold of myself. Almost everything I liked to do you did too. As you get older you are finding your own interests and they don't always align with mine. My gardening buddy now loves eating from the garden, but not so much in helping sow seeds or tend to the plants. To my slight disgust and extreme pride you have decided that bugs are much more love worthy than plants. Now many children love bugs, but I am not so sure that many children love bugs like you! While I work in the garden you find bugs and you love on them in a way I will never fully understand. You carry them, name them, sing to them, love on them. And when I accidentally stepped on a grasshopper in our yard (which was a happy accident in my opinion given they can be very destructive to the garden) you cried real tears for that bug and you found it especially upsetting because the bug "wasn't even that old." When bugs find their way into our house regardless the type: crane fly, spider, house fly, you claim it as your pet and love on it until mommy or daddy can secretly release (or mush) it.

You have your own sense of fashion and a strong desire to follow these fashion rules which consists mainly of pajamas and non-brushed hair which means you haven't changed much since birth. Your one and only accessory that is an everyday must for you is hair bands around your wrist. I am not sure when or how this started, but I love that your fashion is practical and anytime I need to put my hair up I know where to find a hair band.

I feel so incredibly grateful I was able to be your mother! When I tell you that I am the luckiest mother in the whole world you always respond, "all mother's feel that way!" And maybe all moms do feel that way, but regardless I will go on believing whole heartedly that I truly am the absolute luckiest mother in the world to have the honor of watching you grow and spend my life with you!

Love,
Mom