Katie's 6th Birthday Letter

At Chipotle for your birthday lunch

Dear Katie,

When Joshua's birthday rolled around, I realized that in the midst of first trimester haze, I neglected to write you a letter on your 6th birthday.

Now it's been over seven months since you turned six. I'm so sorry this letter is so late, sweet girl. I guess better late than never is still true.

It's crazy to me that it's been six entire years since I held you for the first time! I look at you and am daily amazed at how grown up you are. After mothering only very young children for so long, it's incredible to me that my daughter is old enough to have mature conversations. I love talking with you and hearing about what you have on your mind and what you think about the world.

You still have quite the strong will. It frequently gets you into trouble, but I believe that as the Lord continues to work in you, your strong will is a trait that will serve you and Christ's Kingdom well one day. Despite your strong will, you have such a soft and tender heart. You are quick to apologize sincerely when you've behaved poorly, and you're often very sweet and motherly with the boys (though you do your share of buggjng them too!).

It has been just precious to see you with your new baby sister. You are so excited to have another girl in the family and I can't wait to see the friendship between the two of you blossom as the years go by. Your reaction to the news at our gender ultrasound in May was just precious--you literally jumped up and down and cheered for joy as soon as you heard.

You are well on your way to completing first grade. Reading has really clicked for you and you've taken off! Truthfully, though, you'd much rather play outside than do school.

You've also become such a good helper around the house. You and your brothers clean up your room and the living room every day, and you have taken it upon yourself to clear and wash the dining room table as well. With a new baby in the house and Daddy working the hours he works, the extra help from y'all is such a blessing!

Since your birthday, you've lost three teeth and one more is about ready to fall out. You're concerned you look goofy, but I think you look adorable.

As most little girls your age, you are enthralled by all things princess-y. You still love playing with dolls. Despite being such a girly girl, you still love watching Superhero cartoons and playing cars, planes, and trains with your brothers. I think it's a good mix, personally!

Katie Lee, you are so precious to me. I love you more than you can fathom and I'm so blessed to be your mama, your teacher, and your friend. I hope the Lord will help me do better with all of those things as each year passes.

I pray that the Lord will see fit to grant you repentance and faith even now as a young child. May you serve Him faithfully all your days and teach many others to do the same!

Love,
Mama

Katie's 5th Birthday Letter

This is late! My sweet Katie turned 5 on February 26. But, better late than never, I suppose! :)

Dear Katie,

Five seems like such a big age--and yet here we are, on your fifth birthday. Time sure has flown since you emerged out of my womb and into this big world. You were the answer to my prayers and the fulfillment of my life-long dream to become a mama. As much as I loved you then, how much more do I love you now!

You are such a sweet girl, Miss Katie. I am touched by the way you love your brothers and help me take care of them (even though they do drive you completely batty at times!). You are becoming a willing helper to me around the house, which I really do appreciate! As I've struggled with some health issues in recent months, you have been so sweet and understanding, and showed a lot of maturity.

We started your formal schooling this school year and I think we've both really enjoyed it so far--even though some days you say it isn't fun anymore (like when you'd much prefer to be playing outside). You have recently caught on to reading and are doing great with small, simple books. Since you're my firstborn and my home school guinea pig, I find this progress very encouraging! When we started school, you absolutely despised handwriting, but over the weeks, you've worked at it and improved so much, and you don't complain about it nearly as much as you used to.

In addition to your reading easy readers, you have grown to love listening to me read chapter books, which I have really enjoyed after years of reading lots and lots of picture books! We've made our way through the first nine books in the Boxcar Children, three books in the Imagination Station series, and several other books as well. Pretty much every time we finish, you beg me to read, "just one more chapter!" You are also usually disappointed when we actually finish a book because you don't want it to be over. I think this is really cute.

Thanks to your Aunt Hannah's influence on you, for which I am very thankful, you have become extremely interested in art over the past several months. You are on your way to becoming quite the little artist, always drawing pictures and making cards for people you love. I may need to come up with a budget category for paper the way you go through it, but that's alright. It's worth it--especially if you end up teaching me to be an artist like you've promised. ;)

In addition to your love of art, you really have a love of all things beautiful. You save every lovely thing you come across and use it for a decoration on your night stand. Few things make you happier than fresh flowers and things that sparkle.

Almost all of your pretend play involves princesses in some way. You spend most of your time in dress-up clothes and always have an elaborate plot going on. Baby dolls almost always make their way into your playtime as well. Even though your playing preferences are decidedly girly, you manage to involve your brothers most of the time without emasculating them in any way. They are usually your princes or knights--and they frequently make appearances as bad guys as well.

As you've gotten older, you've also began to form some friendships with other girls at church. Most of them are older than you are, but you manage to fit right in with them and have a lot of fun together. This process as been really sweet for me to watch. You're not the least bit shy around other children and are quick to make new kids feel welcome.

Probably my favorite part of the last year has been the clear evidence I've seen of the Lord working in your life. You're so tender and quick to reform you behavior when I rebuke you with God's word. You are quick to apologize when you do something wrong, and you're full of questions about God and His word.

I pray that the Lord will continue to work in your heart and bring you to faith and repentance even as a young child that you may live all your days out in service to Him.

You are such a blessing to me, Katie, and I love you so, so much.

Happy birthday!

Love,
Mama

To Katie on her third birthday

My sweet Katie girl,

Has it really been three years already since I had the awesome privilege of holding you in my arms for the first time? Three is such a big girl age. I can hardly believe my baby girl is there.

It has been another incredible year of watching you grow and mature. You're 34 pounds and 38 1/2 inches tall. You seem to be tall a slim, the latter of the two traits certainly not one you got from me! You are becoming more and more helpful to me around the house--I know you'll eventually be my right hand lady! You help wash dishes, put away utensils, take laundry to the hamper, and help with picking up your toys, and you have recently started learning how to set the table. The little things you do really are a blessing to me, especially these days when I'm queezy and more tired than usual. You are eager to help with cooking, but I certainly still have to keep a very close eye on you! 

Watching you develop in your role as a big sister has been really amazing for me. You are (most of the time!) so sweet to Benjamin and very concerned about him. You help me keep him out of trouble, which I so appreciate! You are also happy to fetch his cup and whatever other supplies I need in taking care of him. And, watching the two of you enjoy playing with each other warms my heart so! I can leave you both in your room for half an hour or more and you usually play nicely the whole time.

You are so excited about our new baby and love to talk about "her" (you're so sure!) teeny tiny self. You frequently point out that mommy has "free" babies--with one outside my tummy (because you're certainly not a baby anymore. Ha!) and one inside my tummy. So cute!

You love reading, and have recently started sitting through longer stories, which has been fun for both of us. The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh was your first "chapter book." I really enjoy the time we spend reading together every day, and I hope you'll always love to read. You can also count pretty well, making it to 20 or so with just a few hangups.

You love to sing hymns, pray before meals, and talk about Jesus. You sit quietly through church the vast majority of the time, and you really do love being there. We are working through the children's catechism with you, and you pick up the answers so quickly! You often ask me questions about God, and I am so thankful I can be home with you so I don't miss out on precious opportunities to share the gospel with you even now as you are so young. We have to watch your theology closely, as you come up with some pretty interesting (dare I say, heretical? ha!) ideas on your own!

You have quite the growing vocabulary, and it is so fun to spend my days with you. I love that we can have real conversations now since you can talk in full sentences (paragraphs...monologues?!). You are my sweet little buddy, and I am sure that eventually, by God's grace, you will truly be one of my closest friends. Though some days I wish time would stop so I could savor your sweet, chubby toddler face and hold on to the many adorably precious and funny things you say and do for just another moment, I suppose I do look forward to that season of life as well.

My prayer for you this year is the same as it always has been--that you would believe the gospel at a young age and spend the fullness of your years in service to the Lord; the same One Who made my dreams of being a mama come true when He so graciously gave you to me three years ago.

My beloved firstborn, your mama loves you so much more than words can say.

A happiest of birthday to you!


Love,
Mommy

This post is linked to Finer Things Friday.

The horse

"Yook, Mommy! Made a horse!"

See it? ;)

Wordless Wednesday

Katie-isms: She can really talk.

Miss Katie, You are really beginning to talk up a storm. Some days, I wish I could write down every single thing you say. But I can't, so here's a little sampling of your recent vocal antics. You've become a bit sassy, something Mommy and Daddy are going to need to train out of you. I hope one day your strong personality can be harnessed and used for the glory of God.

Love you (& can't imagine which relative you inherited your chattiness from ;)!
Your Mommy


"Hey! Don't talk to me 'yike dat.'" {Said in response to my telling her to get off of the dishwasher door.}

"No, Mommy. I da boss." {I was explaining to her that she couldn't boss me around because I'm her boss.}

"Hey! I have an idea." {while we were building a block tower}

"Okay, okay. I dooey ("do it"). Gosh!" {when I told her to pick up a mess she made}

"I 'yooove' Daddy." {while talking about Daddy while he was away at work}

"Benjamin, say 'Dah-doo' (thank you). Say 'Dah-doo, Mommmy!'" {when I gave Benjamin a toy}

"Benjamin, say 'bye-bye, Daddy!'" {When Daddy left for work}

"Yah-yah (Elijah), open door pease! Yah-yah! Hey, where Yah-yah 'doe' (go)? Oh, gosh." {Waiting for Uncle Elijah to open a door for her}

"Mommy, read 'a-nuvvy' one, pease?" {Asking me to read another book}

"Mommy, sing 'Dod made me' pease!" {Catechism CDs are her favorite! :) }

What are your toddlers up to these days? How have y'all dealt with sassiness from 2 year olds?