Happy 7th Birthday Zoë!

Dearest Zoë,

I just cannot believe you are 7.  It is my most favorite thing to see you grow and learn and become a little person of your own.  We have had so many amazing things happen for you and our family this past year that I haven't been able to share because life just keeps getting busier and busier, but I love (most) every moment of it.

This year you:

-lost your first four teeth!
-went to Sunriver and rode your TWO-WHEELED BIKE (no training wheels!)
-started 1st grade with an incredible teacher
-took skating and hockey lessons (you're one of only two girls in the hockey lessons!)
-mastered swimming in our pool after several Spring sessions of swimming lessons
-performed in two ballet recitals
-memorized and performed your first monologue
-successfully shared your room with your brother for five months
-learned to read: well
-travelled to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
-experienced an amazing five months with Isadora, our exchange student from Brazil
-had lice...the night before your birthday parties and took the rescheduling of your friend one like a champ.

Reading to sleep

Zoë, you are a spectacular student.  You LOVE school.  Halfway through Winter Break you declared you were ready to go back and learn (math, specifically).  You have GRIT, which you display in most anything you put your mind to.  You have declared that math is your absolute favorite subject.  Tonight you told us we were going to play a new game and you explained that each of us would write math problems on a piece of paper, trade them, complete them, grade them, and then do it all over again.  And you. were. thrilled.  Last week you took a big math test, were so worried you wouldn't do well, and then took your SWEET time taking it and increased your score way beyond what your goal was. You earned a Student of the Month award in the first month of school.  Again.  You're setting quite the high standard for yourself, missy.  I cried when your teacher, Mrs. Halstead, told me that the class was asked to partner up and you turned to a student near you, who is a tad difficult, and asked if he would be your partner.  You are kind and thoughtful and hardworking.

Reading has become so much fun, especially now that you've got some favorite series in the rotation.  You LOVE Junie B. Jones and can read most of it on your own, though I love reading them with you and listening to both you and Oliver giggle while we read, so I'm not sure I'm ready for you to read them all on your own yet!  You also love the Fly Guy series, and we love to read those together, too.  I've heard you reading at night to your brother after we do bedtime and I also know you read together in the mornings before I roll out of bed.  I can't wait to share more of my favorite books with you as you grow but it makes my heart so happy that reading is easy for you and makes you happy too.









The extra curricular activities you participate in has gotten out of control.  So much for the one-or-two-activities-at-a-time rule. It is completely my fault. Ballet and gymnastics have always been your favorites, but this year you have branched out to try hockey (and had to take a session of Learn to Skate first).  You're only two weeks into hockey but the grit you demonstrate there is admirable, too.  It's an entire hour of activity and it looks extremely difficult.  Getting up and down from the ice, skating back and forth down the sheet, listening perfectly to the coaches to every instruction. Of course anyone would love to have you in their class; you are a model student/athlete/dancer.  This past December at the Winter Arts Showcase was the first time I watched you and thought, "Oh! She's a ballerina!" because you danced with grace and focus.  I was extremely impressed and can't wait to see your June recital.  I've tried to get you to join the Mini Company with MetroArts (more dance classes) but I can't convince you to give up any other activities to do it.

At home you still love to put on evening shows after dinner, play board games (although lately...if you are not winning there are so many tears), sing at the top of your lungs while reading the words on the Alexa Show in the family room, play with your beloved Samantha doll, play outside with Oliver, swim in the pool, take a dip in the hot tub, learn to sew (we've gotten a few projects done since last year), color, create games, stories, and make-believe worlds, and build with LEGO.  We've had the pleasuring of having Isa from Brazil the past five months and watching you watch a teenager has been entertaining.  You LOOOOOOOOOVE Isa and are going to miss her immensely when she goes home.  You also agreed to share your bedroom with Oliver while Isa has been here and the two of you are never going to go back to separate bedrooms, I think.  You told me that you've gotten used to sleeping next to someone (even if you have a hard time falling asleep most nights...it might be time for a later bedtime).

I thought that once your baby and toddler years were over and all of the celebrating of milestones like crawling, walking, and talking was done that it wouldn't be nearly as fun to see you grow.  But I'm here to say...it. is. amazing.  Every single milestone.  And you've hit a lot this past year. I am constantly in awe of your creativity, your questions, your grit, your care for others, how you do little things with great love, and your capacity to surprise me with the joy you find in little AND big things.  I am so proud of you, little-big girl.  I can't wait to see what this next year brings for you because I know it will be everything you deserve and hope for and so much more.  I love you!