7 years

My dear sweet Madeline,

Today you are 7 years old and quite grown up.  I can't believe that 7 years ago I was watching your big midnight blue eyes as you blinked and stared at me.  Most newborns don't really focus on anything but you focused right on me.  It was a spiritual moment and confirmation that I had my baby and we had waited a long time to see each other.  

Here is everything I want to remember about this last year.

You have had quite a year.  You finished 1st grade with flying colors.  You had your first spelling bee and the word you lost on was larvae.  You were upset because that wasn't even on the practice list and who knew there would be an e at the end.  But you were one of the only 1st graders left in the spelling bee with the rest of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders.  And I was impressed that you could spell most of those words anyway.  You even spelled encyclopedia right when I couldn't.

You are very interested in everything that is going on around you.  You hear everything and anything you don't hear you want repeated back and then explained in detail, just to make sure you didn't miss anything.      Sometimes that is pretty frustrating for dad and I.  But it is a new phase of life and I remember doing the exact same thing to my mom.  

You have an incredible desire to be good.   You are worried about being modest enough, and watching the right things on the television.  You really want to make sure that people say they are sorry when something  wrong happened.   You write beautiful letters saying you are sorry and how much you love me.  

You love to play the piano and this year you were able to compose your own song and play it at your recital.  Several people mentioned how creative and beautiful your song was.    I hope you continue to enjoy it and enjoy practicing.  

You love your baby brother so much and are such a good big sister.  I have been very impressed at how great you are with him.  You like to play with him and help him when he needs it.   He adores you and loves to "help" you with things you are patient with him most of the time.  As long as he stays out of your room.  You are very motherly to him, in fact you worry way more than I do.  

You LOVE reading!  Oh my heavens how you love it!   You have read all of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kids" books and it is so funny, because you are an excellent reader but not necessarily old enough yet to understand all the things in the book.  But you plug through and love every minute of it.  You are now reading the 'Judy Moody' books and thankfully you seem to understand everything.

You have your first loose tooth but haven't lost it yet.  It is just barely hanging on but you won't let anyone pull it for you.  We get to go to the dentist in a few weeks maybe he will pull it for you.  

You are starting to get over you fear of your bike and you are trying to learn to ride without training wheels.  You are so timid with your bike and every time you rode a little ways without the training wheels you would have to stop and "stretch" your legs.   You are getting better at it though, as long as we can get you to practice it.  As soon as you figure it out you have a whole neighborhood of kids waiting to ride with you. 

For your birthday you wanted $$ and to spend the whole day with Dad and I shopping for your birthday present and going on a date.   So we did and we all had a blast!   You realized that $50 didn't go quite as far as you had hoped and I enjoyed watching you put back the $15 shirt because it was too much money.  It was nice to see that you were money conscious.  Sometimes I worry about that.   You went to the clearance section and found a very cute skirt.  Then we hit the toy section and you were very careful there.  In the end you were excited about everything you bought and kept exclaiming how this was "the best day ever!"

We went to lunch and a movie.  We had to see "Judy Moody" because you had just finished the book and it was so cute to watch you explain to me everything that happened in the book during the movie.  And can I just say that you have a giggle that is to die for!  So cute!

You are a special girl and I know that Heavenly Father has big plans for you.  Keep trying to do what is right and being a good example.  Your dad and I love you to the ends of the earth and back.  We would do anything for you.  

Love,

 Mom