First off, I can’t believe you’re 5! I feel like your officially a kid, not a toddler. Of course I also don’t feel old enough to have raised a kid. : )

All you really want to happen this year is for your teeth to start falling out. You have a little obsession with this and the tooth fairy coming. I’m listening carefully to what the tooth fairy does so I know what to do.

We’re still living in Nicaragua and in fact, just decided to stay an extra year. I’m hoping this will create more memories for you here so that will always remember when you lived in Nicaragua as a kid. We’re building a house that we’re going to move into in the next couple months and then when we move back to California we’ll rent it. G’ma is also building a casita, so she is here while we try to get both finished enough to live in.

At school you’re slowly learning to read and write. Teacher Lisa is always telling me how smart and kind you are. You guys just learned about weather and evaporation. You really loved the science lessons, and I’ve loved listening to you tell me everything you have learned and teaching your brother.

You’re such a good big sister to him (most of the time). He looks up to you so much and just thinks the world of you. He even wears your old pink shoes, probably knowing that they were once yours.

You’re taking dance still with our friend Maggie. She too says that you are doing so well and are beyond the other kids your age. I love watching you perform and you always get a very proud look in your eyes.

You absolutely love doing art. You draw several pictures a day at the house and even more at school. There’s a new art studio in town so for your birthday we had your party there. You seemed to really like it and all the kids got to paint their own creation on a board and take it home. Your pinata was The Little Mermaid. We went to Rivas to pick it out with Grandma Moo one day. I let you pick out all the candy and toys that we put inside of it as well.

You’re getting bigger and more responsible. You now have 1 chore, to feed the dogs, and you are very good at it. I give $C2 ($.20) each time. You use the money mostly to buy chips for yourself, Titus, and the neighbor kids.

You still say your favorite color is rainbow. Your favorite food is fried fish eyes, canned octopus, and tomatoes with salt. You are a very strange eater, but a lot like G’Ma. You still love unicorns, so Grandma Moo hand sewed you a giant stuffed unicorn. You also still love dressing up, so we had a princess closet made for you. It looks great and it makes it easy for you to see which dress & accessories you want to wear.

You like a lot of undivided attention, I think its how you feel the most loved. You were so sweet this morning, I told you last night that I wanted to get some cuddles from you today because I didn’t get much yesterday. The first thing you said as you walked into my bedroom and woke Daddy & I up was, “Okay Mom, you’re going to get your cuddles now.” It was so cute that you remembered and I loved lying in bed with you, breathing in your smell and feeling your skinny body snuggled against mine as I slowly began to wake up.

I love you my Baby Girl. You made me a Mommy, you challenge me daily, and you are what makes my life great.  Looking forward to another year of watching you grow.

Love,

Mommy