The Best

Dear Olivia,

Love, Mama

Happy Birthday Livy - 5 years Old

Dear Olivia,

Five years ago was the most treasured day of my life.  The little girl who lights up my life was born!

It is hard to believe that you are 5! The days have gone by so fast, and you grow in one way or another every.single.day.  You are so fun to be around.  You love to talk and when you talk you are so animated and talk with your hands and eyes and mouth!  It’s ironic that I think you talk a lot because at as school they say that you are quite the opposite.  Speaking of school, you started Pre-K at St. Mary Catholic School last fall (2012).  You ADORE school!  I am so glad you like it, and are learning new things, and making friends.  Your teacher, Mrs. Meinholz says that you are very kind and somewhat sensitive (I wonder who you get that from?).  Giana and Alana are your best friends at school, but really you have made friends with your whole class (and you told me the other day that you were going to marry Ryan!). Academically you are excelling (you must have got the smart gene from your daddy). You can count to 40 and by 10’s to 100.  You know the alphabet and recognize and write all the letters. You learned how to write your name this year.  You speak Spanish.  You know your colors (your favorite is yellow).  You also enjoy being read too and making your own books.  In the morning before you leave for school Mommy tells you “Do your best and be kind”.  You have taken those words and lived them.  We are so proud of you.

This past summer we went on a family vacation to Tennessee.  When we were there you picked out a little tiny (or “teensy tiny” as you would say) chick stuffed animal as a souvenir – man has that little guy changed our life! You are OBSESSED with Chicks.  You named your little buddy “Cutie” but the majority of the time you call him “Chickie”. You sleep with him, make houses for him, write stories about him, eat breakfast while holding him, and call for him in the middle of the night. You dressed up as a chickie for Halloween, and for your 5^th birthday party it of course has a chickie in it!  If he goes missing it is a catastrophe for you, for me, and especially your daddy!

You love to be outside. You have learned how to ride your big girl bike with training wheels.  Dad and I will walk around the neighborhood and you will ride your bike. You get excited to play outside with your friends in the neighborhood, Jackson and Owen Pfaff; Ava and Simone (Monee) Bertrand; and Morgan, Cole, and Addie Heinish. You guys will play with chalk, tag, obstacle courses, sledding, sprinklers, exploring, and bike riding.  There is usually someone to play with and if not you can be found outside with Mommy and/or Daddy.  You are a good little gardener and help me keep my flowers nice and pretty. You and daddy like to walk down by the pond and throw and skip rocks (another favorite thing) into it.

Here are just a few more random things that I want to remember:

·         When you play make believe your name is always “Anna Ottilie”. 

·         You started swim lessons this year at the YMCA

·         You love to craft, and are always making something.

·         Your favorite singer is Taylor Swift and you usually listen to your Ipod when you are going to bed.

·         You want to go to Disneyworld because you love princesses

·         You have great rhythm and we have a dance party at night as family

·         You are a horrible eater! You are very picky.  This year you have experimented at try a few new things, but it is very hard to feed you.

·         You talk about poop and pee ALL the timeJ I hope this changes!

·         Your favorite TV shows are Full House, Calliou, Sophia the First, and Diners, Drive-ins and Dive

·         You like to help cook

·         You like to play hide and seek

·         You rarely get in trouble because you are a good listener
      You love your large family! Your Grandma and Grandpas, Aunts and Uncles and Cousins.  But you
       have a special fondness for your cousin Emily. It melts my heart!

Oh Livy, I love you so! I love you with all my heart and love being a mommy to such a special little girl. You make me smile every day.  I cannot wait to watch you grow and see who you become – but I also want to always treasure these little years.  Because I believe, that they will help shape you into the women that you will become.

I love you forever and always,

Mama