January 6, 2016
You lost your second tooth last night! Unfortunately it may not have been 100% ready to come out, because this one hurt a lot more than the last one when Daddy was working on pulling it. You couldn’t eat dinner, though, because you said it hurt too much, so I told him to go ahead and get it out. You were very brave, holding onto Pandy when it really hurt, and the Tooth Fairy brought you another dollar! You said the hole doesn’t hurt at all anymore this morning, which was great news. Your reading is also becoming incredible. You can read practically any book we have, because your sounding out of the words you don’t know is almost perfect. I am so proud of you, peanut!
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January 13, 2016
You and Lana have your first swim lesson together tonight, and you are so excited. You’ve asked me every day since I signed you up the other week how many more days until swim lessons start. It’s just a 5-week session, so if you guys hate them they won’t last that long. But I have a feeling you’ll enjoy them. It’s been about 2 years since your last round of swimming, so hopefully you’ll want to participate in the class again. I’m sure you will, especially since Lana will be there with you and it’s at a new place. We’re going to AZ in March, so I just want you two to be comfortable enough in the water to play by then. I can’t wait to watch you guys tonight!
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January 21, 2016
Your first sick day home from school. Boo. You’ve been up the past 2 nights coughing until you gag up mucus, and last night was worse than the previous one. So home you stayed today, and you’re currently taking a much-needed nap. I think Lana woke up with pink eye today and Morrison has a very snot-filled cold, too, so you 3 are just a big ball of germs right now. I’m just so thankful I can be here to take care of all of you.
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January 25, 2016
Fortunately this terrible cough you’ve had is slowly subsiding, but it broke blood vessels in both your eyes. I’ve never seen this before, and it is super disgusting. Thankfully they don’t hurt you at all or impair your vision, but they’re still gross to look at.
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January 30, 2016
Not only are you losing teeth now, but you’re also getting new ones! Tonight you said you had a bump in your mouth that hurt, and I thought it was a canker sore or a little blood blister inside your cheek or something like that. Nope, it’s your next set of molars coming in! 6-year ones, I think? It hadn’t even dawned on me that these would be coming in soon (or at all, really), but sure enough, here they come! And unfortunately you say they kind of hurt. Today you said you had a headache, which I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say before, and I’m just assuming it’s from the teeth. Because you’re thankfully almost perfectly well otherwise (finally!). Your top right one and lower left ones are poking through so far, but the other 2 aren’t far behind. Weird!
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February 4, 2016
First of all, you read me an entire book tonight! Secondly, you made one of the funniest statements I’ve heard in a long time tonight. As you were looking in your drawer for some summer clothes to wear to your beach party at school tomorrow, you said, “This is just like in the old days when we would get ready for K4!” Ah, the good ol’ days… Oh, and one more thing – you get to advance in your swim lessons and move up to the next level for next session. Nice job, peanut! And one more thing, geez! I was the “Mystery Reader” in your class this afternoon, and before you and your classmates came in from recess to find out who the mystery guest was, Mrs. Murphy told me how great a student you are and how much she loves having you in her class. You make us so proud!
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February 15, 2016
I had so much fun with you this past weekend, sweet pea. On Saturday, I took you for your first non-Grandma hair cut. In between my color and cut, my stylist cut your locks into a cute little bob. You look adorable! We’re going to send your pigtails in to a hair donation organization if they’re long enough. Then yesterday you and I went to a Marquette women’s basketball game with your Daisy troop. You were so cute! I love having some one-on-one time with you, since I’m usually spending most of my time corralling your brother or prodding your sister to do something for the ump-teenth time. You’re a great little partner!
Then today on the walk home from school you played with a stick the entire way. As we passed the baseball diamond, you walked down next to the bleachers and wrote in the snow “I love Mama and Dada and Lana and my Morrison.” You were going to write “my brother” at the end, but when you asked me how to spell brother you decided to just finish it with Morrison instead. And you only had to ask me how to spell brother and Morrison. You are so smart!
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February 29, 2016
Your third six-year molar is coming in now, too, peanut. It’s your top left one; still no sign of your lower right one, though.
You wrote me the absolute sweetest sign this weekend, and it will be hung proudly on my bulletin board, aka the back of our bedroom door. You wrote me and Dada a letter thanking us for teaching you and playing with you and taking care of you, all in your own spellings. You didn’t ask me once how to spell any of the words, and you got all of them pretty close. I can read the whole thing. I am so unbelievably proud of your reading and writing skills!
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March 17, 2016
I am so proud of how well you’re doing in your swimming lessons, peanut. This session has been great – you now jump in by yourself every time and love it. You’ve progressed from trying to reach back for the wall every time you jumped to flinging yourself out to the middle of the pool with each jump like a true cannonballer. You also dunk yourself completely underwater constantly, where before you were afraid to put your whole face in. You can’t wait to go swimming in Arizona now the week after next, and I’m so happy for you! You graduated to the next level this session, too, so you’re moving right up the ladder!
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March 25, 2016
I saw your third 6-year molar coming in the other night, so we’ll call it March 21. The fourth one still hasn’t poked through yet, but you do complain that they’re bothering you sometimes.
I had your second trimester parent-teacher conference this week, too, and Mrs. Murphy sang you nothing but praises. You’re ahead of where you should be in both reading and math, you participate well and correctly in class, you handle your disruptive classmates maturely, you have many friends, you’re a kind and helpful friend to your peers, and you’re a joy to have in class. My heart almost exploded I’m so proud of you!!
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April 4, 2016
You are getting so big, sweet pea! We weighed you down at Grandma’s house this past weekend, and you weigh 50 lbs. already! No wonder, since you can practically eat as much as Daddy.
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April 14, 2016
I just checked last night, and all 4 of your 6-year molars are through. The last one we were waiting for was the bottom right one, but the bottom ones are both almost fully surfaced. So your teeth chart in your baby book will now be complete. 🙂
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April 25, 2016
Today Mrs. Murphy started dismissing your class from the classroom instead of taking you all out to the blacktop to be dismissed upon sight of your person, and you were very excited for this step. You are practicing this to get ready for how it’s done starting next year in 1st grade. I couldn’t believe it! If I had things my way, you’d all stay babies forever, and someone would personally hand you to me after school each day for your entire school career so you’re never out of my sight for too long. However, that is obviously a ridiculous thought, and I know I have to watch you grow up before my eyes. You did so great, though. We agreed that you may not leave the stairs outside your door until you see me and we wave to each other, and as soon as you saw me waving this afternoon you came running over, like you always do. I love you so much, peanut, and you make me so incredibly proud.
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April 26, 2016
It’s almost safe to say you can officially tie your shoes, and you are so proud! I said your homework this week is to practice tying for 10 minutes after school each day, and by the end of the week I’m sure you’ll have it down. You keep wanting to wear a pair of tie shoes to school, but they always come untied so I said not until you can tie them by yourself every time that happens. So yesterday was your first day of shoe tying homework. You tried both ways of tying and decided you want to do it the 2-bunny-ears way like I do it. So I showed you a couple times, then you ran with it. We were practicing using the shoelace in your quiet book, since you said it was easier to clean up than a pair of shoes. Ha! You truly are my daughter! By the end of the 10 minutes you could do it easily, then you did it again this morning to show Daddy. I stuck to the rule about not wearing your tie shoes until the end of the week, though, when you wanted to wear them again this morning. You’re also excited about getting to wear the necklace at school that designates you know how to tie. You described it to us like this: When you tell Mrs. Murphy you know how to tie your shoes, she calls you over at some point during the day to show her. Then you get to wear this necklace (I’m not sure what it looks like) for the day and also when you help other classmates tie their shoes. As happy as I am about this, I would really like this seeming explosion of your growing up lately to slow down a bit.
*ETA: You did it! Today at school you showed Mrs. Murphy that you could tie your shoes and you brought home a “Pete the Cat” shoe tying certificate. And I was wrong about the necklace – you only wear that at school when you help your friends tie. So proud, peanut! One more day of tying “homework” and you can wear your light-up tie shoes to school next week!
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May 3, 2016
Big day today, peanut! You wore your light-up tie shoes to school for the first time being able to tie them yourself. And I completely forgot to ask how the day went with them, since those particular shoes always come untied, even when they’re double tied. Oops. I’ll have to check in tomorrow.
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May 11, 2016
You had your first play date at our house yesterday, and it was a little bit of an eye-opener for me. We walked your friends Delia and Sophia home with us (and of course it was raining so i brought extra umbrellas for everyone), then they stayed to play for about an hour and a half. It was supposed to have been a nice day so you guys could all play outside, but due to the pouring rain you all played in the basement with play-doh and art stuff instead. But you, my little queen bee, were kind of over-the-top sometimes. And I know you were just so excited to have friends at our house and wanted to show them everything and how you like to do everything, but still. You almost had one of your meltdowns when I gave a bowl you wanted to one of your friends for snacks, then you didn’t want anyone else playing with your baby doll when you guys got the little stroller out of your bedroom. So apparently we need to work on realizing that you don’t always and won’t always rule the roost, my dear. I have been trying to teach you that things don’t always go exactly how you want them to, simply so you don’t go into meltdown mode over trivial things (which obviously aren’t trivial to you), and fortunately we avoided it yesterday. And I know you are only 5 and in your wonderfully simple life of a child these things mean a lot to you, but I’ll work on relaxing your rigidity a little. Because I know exactly where it comes from – I see her in the mirror. But I’ve become so much better about taking things as they come and knowing what not to take too seriously (which, you will hopefully learn as well, is most everything), so now my job is to pass that on to you also. As our family grows and evolves, I have to make sure you do, too, sweet pea. My first, beautiful, getting-so-big sweet pea! I do love you so.
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June 7, 2016
I simply can’t believe that you only have one and a half days left of being a kindergartner, sweet pea! You have absolutely thrived in Mrs. Murphy’s class this year, and it has made my transition into having you in school full day so much better. I hate being without you, but watching you grow and seeing how much you love to learn fills my heart to overflowing. I am so utterly proud of you, my love! I do wish you guys would all slow down growing a little bit, though. To think we’ll have a 1st grader in 2 days is insane!
Also, you had your second play date at our house today with your friends Tegan and Leyla, and it went much more smoothly than the first one. Our neighbor friend Amelia came home with us until her parents got home, too, and you all and Lana played incredibly well. Your pee and poop conversations on the walk to take everyone home rivaled those of little boys, I’m sure, though!
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June 8, 2016
Last night of K5! I still can’t believe it.
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June 23, 2016
Yesterday afternoon Daddy was working up in the attic and I warned you and Lana that you needed to be on very good behavior when he came down, no whining, good listening, and good manners, because it’s hard work up there and it makes him tired. So, all on your own, you wrote him this incredible thank-you letter thanking him for working up there to make your new bedroom even though you know he doesn’t want to and that it’s all for you guys. It brought tears to my eyes. You are such an amazing person.
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June 28, 2016
You can now snap your fingers. You’ve been practicing for about the past week, and finally yesterday they actually started making a real snapping sound.
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August 1, 2016
Happy 6th birthday, sweet Della Jolee! We just got home from a wonderful vacation in Canada, and you were so excited to “learn” how to swim with your puddle jumper on, even swimming all the way around the island with me on our last day up there! You have no idea how full it made my heart to see you conquer your fear and nerves and become the most amazing water bug. It almost made me cry to see how happy and proud of yourself you were, too. We love you so very, very much!!
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August 15, 2016
Peanut, your beautiful mind never ceases to amaze me. This morning during our run as you were riding your bike behind me, out of nowhere you said, “Mama, I think I know why our lake is called Lake Michigan. It’s because Michigan is at the end of the lake!” Great job, kiddo. I don’t know what got you thinking about that, but I was so proud you knew the answer all on your own!
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August 25, 2016
Your kind heart is a most wonderful thing, sweet pea. Today you were finishing up thank-you notes from your birthday, and on one of the notes for your neighbor friends you drew a big circle at the bottom and wrote “Friendship” in the middle of it. I was so impressed and proud!
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September 1, 2016
You started 1st grade today, peanut! I cannot believe how big you’re getting!!! I miss you so much when you’re gone all day at school, but I know you’re very excited to start this new year with Mrs. Tauscher and begin your travel learning. I can’t wait to pick you up and hear all about your first day. I love you so much, sweet pea!
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September 19, 2016
You were so cute after school today, pee wee. Daddy picked you up, so I didn’t get to hear how anything went right away. Once you got home, every time you wanted to tell me about something that happened today you started it with, “Mama, guess what?” I absolutely love your enthusiasm for this school year, and I hope it continues forever.
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October 6, 2016
We are currently watching an I Heart Radio concert on tv, and U2 just performed. They had a Donald Trump montage at the end of their song, saying something about how the American Dream is not dead. You asked why they had a big sign that said Donald Trump, and I said that’s that man’s name. You then told me that Donald Trump wants to build a wall around our country. Woah! How did you know that? You said one of the boys in your class told you. I was going to be blown away if you were actually discussing politics in 1st grade. Now the Backstreet Boys are performing, and you said wow, they’re pretty. Ha!
Also, today was your first field trip for the school year. You went to a farmer’s market, and you were the most adorable thing ever showing me what you got. Each student was allowed to bring no more than $5, and you took your own money out of your “dollars” bank in your bedroom. You came out of school carrying a beautiful pink flower (maybe some type of dahlia?), and you were so excited to show it to me, along with the rest of your goodies. You bought that flower, a peach, 3 apples, a cup of apple cider, and the tiniest pumpkin I have ever seen. You were especially proud of the mini-pumpkin purchase.
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October 14, 2016
You lost your 3rd tooth today at school! I couldn’t believe it, because I had no idea it was that loose. I just wiggled it the other day, and I thought it’d be in there for quite a while yet. But you came bounding out of school today with the biggest smile on your face and said, “I lost my tooth today!” So exciting for you, peanut. You had it in a little tiny ziploc bag and everything. You are the cutest! And you are now slumbering away soundly, waiting for the Tooth Fairy’s next visit. I think she’s on her way!
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October 18, 2016
You were so excited today to have your first play date with your current best friend Minnie. Yesterday when I got to school for pickup you two had almost talked Minnie’s dad into going over to her house then, but then we decided that today would be better – I’m not good with spontaneous play dates, Daddy worked really late tonight so he wouldn’t be home after school anyway, we could go right from Minnie’s house to pick up cheeseburgers and french fries for dinner, and your feet were totally covered in blisters because you wore some hard jelly-type shoes to school yesterday and I forgot to bring you socks and runners to change into for the walk home (i felt so terrible – your little feet looked miserable and you walked out of school on the sides of your feet because they hurt so badly!). So today Daddy took you to school since he was able to go in late and Minnie’s dad picked you both up, and it was very weird not going to school at all with you. But you two had an absolute blast together, and you are now zonked out, sleeping the wonderful slumber of babes after a day full of play with their friends. I love you so much, peanut, and it makes my heart so happy knowing you are and have such a good friend. Tonight you even said, “Minnie and I are BFFs.”
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November 3, 2016
Your love of reading is so great, peanut. Today is library day at school, and we didn’t get the second of your library books for this week finished in time for you to take them back today. So last night at bedtime, I said you could read a few more pages but had to put it away and go to sleep by 8:00. At 8:10, I peeked in to find you still reading by the little light of your flashlight pen. You are so cute!
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November 13, 2016
Aw, my love. You, unfortunately, get the same body-wracking, terrible coughs I do, and you’re in the middle of one right now. For the past 3 nights you’ve coughed until you gag and throw up, and it just breaks my heart to hear you in there. Thankfully they seem to have subsided for now, so hopefully the cough medicine has kicked in and you can sleep tonight. If not, I might keep you home from school tomorrow if you’re totally exhausted.
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December 4, 2016
Yet again, you melted my heart tonight, sweet pea. As I was making dinner, you asked me what a talent was. I said it’s something you’re good at. Then you asked what your talents are, and I said you have many – drawing, coloring, writing, dancing, playing, monkey bars, reading. I asked why you had asked, and you said Miss Kristin’s talent is singing, Auntie Mer’s talent is cooking, and it just popped into your head. Then I can’t remember if I asked you or if you asked me what my talent was, but I said to you and Lana, “What do you guys think my talent is?” I was really curious to hear this answer. But to my surprise and absolute happiness, Lana said, “Being a mom!” Then you both said that I’m a really good mom and that is what my talent is. You have no idea how incredible it is to hear that, my sweet, sweet girl.
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December 15, 2016
You lost your 4th tooth yesterday, peanut! It was my first day of jury duty, and fortunately Daddy was able to work from home to be with you guys. Unfortunately, you threw up the night before and awoke with a low-grade fever yesterday morning, so I had you stay home from school to rest. I had a nagging feeling that something more might come of that little illness, and the last thing I wanted was to get a call from school when I was stuck down in the courthouse and would have to have Daddy take the other 2 over to school to get you. Anyway, when I got home, you were all excited to report your big news. So we set the tooth fairy doll out right next to your pillow at bedtime with your tooth tucked in her little pocket and settled in for the night. She brought you a quarter, wrote you another note, and left a tiny shiny reindeer on it with your tooth! It looked like a little piece of metallic confetti – maybe it was a special touch for the holiday season.
Unfortunately, again, you were home sick today with pink eye, and it was my second day of jury duty. Thankfully, we still have 2 bottles of eye drops left from when we thought Lana and Morrison had pink eye within the past 2 years, and the nurse said those are fine to use. Hopefully it will be puss-free and much less red tomorrow morning so you can go back to school.
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December 16, 2016
You eye is much better and you did go back to school today. You were excited because it was sports day so you wore your Packers jersey, but that nasty cough that plagues you is back with a vengeance. Ugh! I’m sorry, my love, you just can’t catch a sickness break here.