Dear Maxine,
We have been counting down to this day for about 75 days. It’s your fourth birthday!
It’s hard for me to describe how much I love you. I am proud of the way you have been putting away your toys when you are all done playing, without being asked. This shows what a big girl you are becoming! I enjoy playing games with you, and it’s a lot of fun to play in the sand with you, too! You are a very creative, artistic girl with a natural talent for art and creating, and you quite enjoy this type of activity. I hope as you get older that you continue to practice and build your artistic talents.
We have seen many changes this year. Grandma and Grandpa Morrow went home in April. We sold our house and bought a new house in a new neighborhood. You got a new bedroom. You got a new bicycle, which you were not sure about riding but now you love. You’ve moved up classrooms a couple of times in preschool. You have learned to memorize and sing songs, books, and movies. Thanks to one of your preschool teachers, Ms. Stacy, you love story time and the library. Your favorite color is purple, and you find joy in your My Little Ponies, in unicorns, rainbows, PJ Masks, and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, cereal with rainbows (Lucky Charms) and “bars” (granola bars). Your favorite food is still pancakes, which I agree is a magical food, and I believe that you will always love sweets and treats, your favorite thing to ask for.
Just in the last two days, you have received 12 tokens for following rules, helping around the house, and being kind. That’s so many tokens for just two days, quite an accomplishment.
Along with all of your wonderful traits, you bring me challenges daily. This helps me to grow and learn new ways of being a mom to you, and to learn to adapt to your way of being in this world, which can be a challenging place to live right now. And my goal is to help you to learn how to live in it in ways that are productive and meaningful to you. I hope you grow to be kind and helpful toward others, and to be adventurous in a world that can be intimidating and feels limiting at times. I see my job as your mama as a guide or role model, which is actually the toughest job I have ever had.
Thank you for finally coming down from heaven to be with me, with our family, and for being the hardest teacher I’ve ever had. I will always love you, even if you say I’m “not [your] best friend!”
Love, Mama