My sweet little Lexi,
While swimming with Papa in the pool in Florida, you lean over to him and ask ‘Papa, can I be friends with that girl over there?’ And you swam over to her, introduced yourself and played for a little. The girl was so sweet to you considering she was 12. She played awhile before going and doing things for kids a little bit bigger.
Although this event technically happened a couple months after you turned 5, I feel like it is the perfect example of the little girl you are becoming. Long gone are the days where you were shy and would cling to my leg and not make eye contact with people. You are social and LOVE to play with anyone you meet. You are confident and silly and love to laugh and make others laugh.
So many amazing things happened this year for you, but my favorite, by far, was watching you grow and develop relationships with your siblings. Kate was born when you were 4.5 and there was an instant bond between you two. The love you have for her is fierce. You sing her songs when she is crying, you read her books, you feed her bottles, and you love to play with her and make her laugh. Nobody can make her laugh more than you. And her feelings are reciprocated right back. The moment she sees you, her eyes twinkle and a huge smile appears on her face.
One morning I went to wake you up for school and you asked if Beetle was awake yet and I said no, and you just rolled over and said, well I’m too sleepy then, come get me when she is awake. I pray every night that this bond only continues to grow stronger each day.
Another day, Kate had been crying while napping and you quietly opened her door, walked to her crib, sang her a couple of songs, put her paci back into her mouth and tip-toed out. You proudly came downstairs and announced that Kate had woke up from her nap, but don’t worry, I put her back to sleep.
Then, there is your best friend, Badger, aka William. The two of you are the best of pals 90% of the time. You two play together for hours on end. You love to play legos, dollhouse, squinkies/shopkins/hatchamals, Mickey Mouse, Barbies Frozen, the list goes on and on. You have your ‘girl versions’ of all of these toys, and Badge has the dad or the brother or the Dog or spiderman and you two have imaginative play wherever you are. I love to sit back and listen to you two play. You’ll often be playing and asking ‘Mom, do this’ and if I respond, you’ll say, ‘Not you, I meant the Mom I’m playing with’. There were many days this summer that I would suggest we go to the park or ask if someone wanted to run to the store with me and you two will often decline and say you just want to stay home and play with your toys.
Last spring, you performed in your first dance recital. I was worried you would get nervous up there with the lights and all the people watching you but you ROCKED it and were one of the best performers in your class. That evening as I was putting you to bed, you cried because you had so much fun and were sad that you needed to wait another whole year before you could perform again.
Outside of dance class, you also love to dance at home. Whenever music comes on, you stop what you’re doing and just bust a move. I can tell, you feel the music and you cant help but boogie. Your moves are quite entertaining and I’m still working on catching them on video so you can laugh at yourself later.
This past year, you learned how to ride a two-wheeler bike, had your tonsils removed, had your last day of daycare, and your first day of preschool. You are only half way through and are learning so much. I’m amazed at how much they pack into 3.5 hours! You love going each day and are proud to tell me what you learned each day. You have done a great job of making friends and Mrs. Hanson and Mrs. Magner were shocked when I told them how shy you used to be as they have never seen a glimpse of you being shy. You’re learning how to write upper and lowercase letters, learn all of the sounds they make, identify and write numbers, working on addition and subtraction. You have an excellent memory and are learning all sorts of sight words, recognizing and creating patterns and your fine motor skills are advanced. You do a really really good job of staying in the lines while coloring.
You share many of the characteristics of other first-born children. You are a rule-follower and I never have to worry about you running out of my sight and announce whenever anyone breaks a rule (yourself included). You can not get enough attention from mommy, Daddy or your grandparents. If we tell William he did a good job, you say, ‘well I did XYZ too’ or ask ‘are you proud of me too?’ You are an excellent helper, particularly with Kate. When we’re getting ready to leave the house, you’re running around the house filling up the diaper bag to make sure we’ve got food, toys, diapers, extra clothes and paci’s for Kate.
You also love to talk. Like non-stop. Whether you are playing or just hanging out or we are driving, the questions are non-stop or just announcing what is going on around you. Your daddy is a talker so I think this trait comes from him.
This past spring, you started sharing a bedroom with William. You sleep on the top bunk and Badge sleeps on the bottom and you both love it! It has also simplified bedtime. We read stories together and you no longer need us to be with you until you fall asleep as you have William there to keep you company. Initially, you chatted a lot before bed, but now you fall asleep within 5 minutes of use leaving.
You are a great little swimmer. You have taken 3 rounds of lessons and love to swim underwater and are learning your front crawl. This summer you also did a T-ball and soccer combo class for the first time and it went OK but you didn’t love it. Hoping that next year you’ll be open to trying them again and going into a program that is a little more structured.
You really love all of your toys and like to constantly switch things up. You love to play with the dollhouse, squinkies/shopkins, little people, barbies, Legos, your Chelsea doll, barbie dreamhouse, puzzles (100+ pieces!), coloring, games on the iPad (including YouTube–you love to watch other people play with toys or open them, I think it is weird, but you love it) and any kind of craft there is.
You tend to be a bit of a follower, you want to eat whatever everyone else is eating, even if you like a different option better. Or I’ll ask you if you want to ride your bike and you’ll say, no, but then see a neighbor kid doing it and you’ll suddenly want to ride. We’re working on doing things that you like to do and not being influenced by others, which includes me not bribing you to do something because thats what someone else is doing. #badmomhabit
Lexi, you are amazingly talented, have a ridiculous memory, a heart as big as a rainbow, an imagination to the depths mermaids swim and make me so proud and grateful to be your mom. I see so much of myself in you and I pray that God will continue to give me the strength and wisdom to help grow and blossom you into a wonderful little girl that you are becoming. Mommy and Daddy love you so much. Thank you for being everything a little Lexi Bug is supposed to be.
Love,
Mama
Peanut Smiles 