Bits & Pieces: Addison: 5 Years Old

Oh my sweet sweet Addison,

Today you are 5 years old! It seems hard to believe that you are five, yet you are a mature girl that also seems five. Over the past year I feel we have really bonded and become best friends. We are continuing to learn more about your personality everyday. You are our first born which means we are blazing this trail of parenthood together with you. I feel over the last year we have learned more about how you react to certain situations, the best way to discipline you and how you feel love.

Addison you are the life of the party. You continue to be outgoing and talk talk talk. You are a leader and are learning how to deal when people don't want to be led. Like your mama, you can't understand why anyone wouldn't want to be bossed around by you. ;) You will do great things someday with this skill. I pray you continue to develop your leadership skills and become a kind, compassionate, and honest leader.

You are the best big sister Lilah could ever dream of. You are her protector and she follows you absolutely everywhere. There are a few times you don't want to be bugged by your little sister but 95% of the time you are more than happy to have your little shadow by your side. I watch you with her and you are tender, sweet and loving. You comfort her when she gets hurt and encourage her when she is learning something new.

You continue to love music, dancing and singing. Never a day goes by where I don't hear several songs from your sweet voice. Lots of times it is songs from school. However, there are times when you are playing and you are just making up songs as you go. It is usually a detailed account of what you are doing, but it is all done in song. You continue to enjoy dance, but have mentioned a couple of times you want to go back to gymnastics. I think you are missing your old gymnastics teacher. She is a cheerleader at dad's school, so I think seeing her makes you miss gymnastics.

Speaking of cheerleaders you love them. You have been a good little cheerleader for daddy's football players this year. You are loved by all the cheerleaders and make sure to talk to them several times during the football games. When we are at the games everyone knows Addison. You make friends fast and have lots of them. You have been a very good little girl at games. Games last very late on Friday nights and you have handled it all very well. I can't really even think of an incident you have not behaved well. You enjoy all the socializing and cheering with the cheerleaders.

Another thing you love is arts and crafts. You color nearly everyday you get home. During your free time at school you are coloring, cutting, and creating. You have gotten very good at it, and I am impressed with your "staying in the lines" ability. We put up an art wall in your playroom and you quickly filled it up. Of course you still love dress up, playing with your doll house and the occasional baby.

Over the past year and really most recently I have learned your love language. Of course you are a little bit of all of them. What child doesn't love gifts, hugs/kisses, words of affirmation and acts of service? However, you truly beam when you are given quality time. Now that my work is a million times less stressful, I make sure to spend some real quality time with you. I have noticed changes in your attitude and behavior. You love to have mommy/Addy or daddy/Addy dates. It doesn't matter what we do. You beam when we do it.

My oldest child, I love you so very much. Words could never really describe it. You will never actually know until you have a child of your own. You are the most perfect first child I could imagine, and we thank God for you everyday. Please know that you are loved by so many people. You are one very lucky girl. Have a happy birthday sweet princess!

Love you forever,
Mommy, Daddy & Lilah

Addy stories
- You have been telling us you do not need to hold our hand when crossing the road now that you are five.
- Halloween was the same as the past couple of years. All kids getting candy and Addison striking up conversations with the people passing out the candy. What cracks me up is she is the one initiating the conversations. She is asking lots of questions about the home owners dogs, decorations, cats, or whatever else catches her eye. I love that she is so talkative.
- During the parent appreciation dinner this year Addison was again working the room. This time she created a little gang as we referred to it. She circled the room collecting other kids she knew and they would just march/skip/walk around the room. Of course Lilah had to follow suit so she and her friends had to "help" Lilah play with the big kids.
- You are very independent. You want to pour your own milk, help in the kitchen, pick out just the right outfit (apparently my choices make you look "wierd"), buckle your own seatbelt, and anything else that you could possibly perform on your own.
- You are so very smart. Thanks to your school you have learned so many things. One thing that just seems crazy to me is that you know your left from your right. Your coloring and cutting skills are great. You received a "school" toy for your birthday. It has already gotten lots of use. You enjoy being the teacher, of course.
- The other day on the way home from school you were giving me a run down of the plan for when we got home. You very seriously and matter of factly told me what we were going to do. Then you said mom "Do I look clear?" I nearly lost it. I said "what?". You responded, "you know like dad says". (Do I make myself clear?). Oh you hear and remember everything.
- When we do something that annoys or you don't approve of, you respond "REALLY?!?!". Another thing you learned from your dad.
- You are my weekend morning coffee buddy. Although you just have a tinsy bit of coffee, you love it.

I think I may have ruined Addy on pictures when she was young. Now a days she isn't a big fan of taking pictures. She makes it tough on her mama to capture all her wonderfulness on film. I realized last Monday that we had not had an "official" Addison birthday shoot. About 4:00 on Monday I realized it was now or never. Tuesday was supposed to be super cold. Addison not only is tired of pictures if it is a tinsy bit cold well now it's over. So after work I zoomed over to school picked her up and told her we were going some where special. When she found out it was pictures lets just say the car was pretty noisy, not in a good way. I tried to make it as fun as possible by telling her we were exploring the Christmas lights at Rhema. Basically she ran around trying hard not to be captured by my phone (yes didn't even have my camera) with her hair a frightful mess from a long day of school. It was a bit painful but here is my 5 year old wild girl. She is wearing her current favorite outfit. She loves cardigans, just like here mama! Of course, what outfit is complete without a pair of sparkly white shoes. And her hair, if left up to her always down flying all over the place. Gosh I love this girl. She is one of a kind.