A letter to my 5 year old... {Sunday Snapshot}

Dear Kate Emerson Ru,

I truly cannot believe you are FIVE years old.  It seems like just yesterday that I held you for the first time in the Richmond airport.  It was instant love.  How has it been over four years already?

This morning we were having a family meeting about summer time rules and expectations and you were being so cute.  Out of the blue, Dad jokingly said to you,"when did you get here?"  And without skipping a beat you replied, "just in time." You did come to our family just in time.   And you brought laughter, pink, magic, softness and spontaneity with you to our family.

This year you learned so many new things.  I saw you spread your wings in ways I had not seen before.  You really became independent.  For the first few years you used to follow us around the house all day long.  Dad and I used to joke that you must be so bored watching the rest of us life live.  You seemed to  be content to simply observe for the first four years of life.  But not this year.  This year you soared.  You learned to play independently which was HUGE for me.  You still don't play with toys a lot but you read books, do art, play dress up and set up tea parties by yourself.  You have learned to entertain yourself which I think is a huge lesson in life that will serve you well.

This year I also saw how determined you are.  You set some goals for yourself and you worked relentlessly to achieve them.  This one of the things I love most about you....your "can do" spirit.

Just this year you...

Started Sunday school and learned so much about Jesus and the Bible.

You learned how to blow a bubble.

You mastered the monkey bars (this one took months of perseverance)...

Dad taught you to ride a bike without training wheels in record time....

You are learning how to read (video coming soon)...

You have become a great swimmer....

You figured out how to rollerblade....

And you taught yourself how to yo-yo.

You are working like heck to whistle and sometimes you get it just right:)

{here you are trying to whistle while I am trying to get a photo!}

You love all the nicknames I have for you (pudding, dumpling, cupcake, Ru, Katie Ru, pumpernickel, pumpkin) and you often tell me new ones to call you for the day. Last week you suggested asparagus one day and the next day you wanted to be called Katie instead of Kate:)

Kate, you are a generous and kind friend, a cuddle bug, and a sweet sister.  I love having you for a daughter. You can wrestle like nobody's business with your brothers (and you even know some Judo moves) and a minute later you can pirouette around the house like a prima ballerina! You have the grace and manners and composure to sit still at a fancy tea but you can laugh at the potty humor you unfortunately hear sometimes (from your brothers!).  You make us all laugh when we need it the most.  You are truly gifted in the arts and many people have pointed that out to us lately.  You can draw and paint with such talent.  And you are an amazing dancer.  I cannot wait to see how those God given talents mature along with you.

{one of your recent paintings}

In a few months, you will spread your wings even further as you start kindergarten.  I know you will do great things.  Don't forget that you will never be too big for a snuggle-cuddle in Mama's lap though.  I love the relationship we have.  We are so close and I hope that never changes.  Even though it drives me crazy somedays, deep down I love hearing you say, "Mama?!" 100 times a day.  I hope you always call me Mama.

Most of all you have a love for God and for His goodness.  I love you very much and am so proud God chose me to be your Mama!

Love,
Mom

P.S. Tomorrow night I will post the photos of how we celebrated on Kate's birthday!