***Should have been published September 1, 2008***

Dear Tessa,

We spent a lot of this month in the pool.  You took swimming lessons at the YMCA every Monday-Thursday afternoon the entire month.  The progress you made in learning to swim was amazing.  It was really great to watch you start out clutching the swimming teacher or a kick board, and end the month watching you swim, even if it was only a very short way, all by yourself.

We had our hard times.  The last teacher you had was very, very tough.  She would basically just stand out in the middle of the pool and want you to swim to her.  You were scared.  You cried.  But you pulled it together and did what she asked.  You weren't afraid to tell her that you were scared and she did take it a little bit easier on you after you told her.  I was proud of you for so many reasons.  For trying your best.  For persevering.  But mostly for being brave when you were afraid.   I found this quote and thought of you…

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. ~John Shedd

I can tell that you are going to be a great swimmer, and really love the water like I do.

Speaking of loving the water, on our annual family pontoon boat trip you got in the lake with just your life jacket on!  All by yourself!  I was very amazed at how brave you were.  You had so much fun you asked if we could go again the next week. 

You've discovered video conferencing and love to call your grandpa and grandma or lolo.  Sometimes you are lucky enough to find Rianna online.

I've noticed that you are trying to be more helpful these days.  Maybe not so much with the putting of the pajamas into the laundry.  More with the baking of the cookies.

There was recently an episode of the Hannah Montana TV show that you watched where Hannah's friend Lily sings very badly.  You've decided that singing off key is a very funny thing to do, and you do it on purpose, and very often.  My dear girl, this is the very thing Uncle Tim used to do to me when we were kids to drive me insane.  If you'd like me to be committed to a mental health institution someday soon, please do continue with the off key singing.

Your nicknames this month are…

Lovely

Tessiebear

Sessa (Emma calls you this because it is how you refer to yourself!)

A few mornings ago we were about to have breakfast and we asked you what you would like.  You said "I WANT THE TATO!"  You also still call breakfast "breakfixt" and refer to our whole fruit smoothies as "smoovies".   I will never correct you.  Our family will probably always have smoovies and THE TATO on the menu for breakfixt.  (To this day I like to refer to cereal as "cyrano" and peanut butter as "cheanut butter" like your cousin Braden did when he was a baby.)

I taught you how to make friendship bracelets.  You completed one and started another, but mostly you want me to make them for you. 

You can talk.  I really mean it.  I think you could win an award for non stop talking.  You can take a two minute story and turn it into a thirty minute saga.  My ears hurt.  You even take my old pink razr cell phone and have pretend conversations… you even will leave the room to have some privacy if you think we are being too loud while you are on the phone.  You ask a lot of "why" questions.  I find myself answering "because I said so" and "very carefully" and "because I'm the mom" just like my parents did to me, just like I thought I would never do.

First day of school!

You are in first grade now!  I love fall, love back-to-school time, love the excitement of the first day of school.  And yet, we had such a great summer, I didn't want it to end. 

New classroom!

New desk!

I wish for you the best school year ever, with plenty of friends, lots of learning, lots of recesses.  I wish for you to learn more and more every day that Jesus loves you, I love you, Daddy loves you and Emma loves you.

Love,

Mommy

P.S. Here is a picture of Snowy the Snowman Dishtowel.  Back when Cuppy was lost this was your special item you carried around.  He keeps ending up in the kitchen now, being used as an actual… um… dishtowel.  So I thought you might want a picture to remember him by.

Dear Emma,

You discovered Tessa's big bin of princess dress up clothes this month, which is good because Tessa has kind of lost interest in pretending to be a princess.  I, for one, think we still need a little princess around here so your timing could not be more perfect.  Clomp around in those plastic high heels all you want!

We started a parent/child swimming class this month.  Tessa was taking swimming lessons four days each week and I knew I couldn't take you to the pool every day but never let you swim.  During class we sing a lot of songs, learn to blow bubbles in the water, learn to kick your legs, and how to "glide".   Tessa was watching you and taking pictures, and at one point she said "I'm so proud of Emma!", which totally cracked me up.  You love the water, but do NOT want to be dunked under.  About halfway through the class each child gets to pick out a toy to play with while the teacher goes around to each child and dunks them under the water and glides them over to their parent.   You are NOT a fan of this, so I told the teacher you did not want to participate.  The teacher looked at you and said, "Emma do you want to go under the water and glide to Mommy?" and you said "Sure!" and you proceeded to do exactly that.  Um, thanks a lot.

Tessa had her first class (Romp-n-Roll) at age six months.  You had your first class (swimming) at age 2 years 8 months.  Such is the life of a second child.

You don't like to be dirty, and after eating breakfast in the morning you ask to have your face washed by saying, "I got peanutbutters!" which is to say that you have peanut butter smeared around your mouth.

August 8 was a big day for you, and not because it was the first day of the Olympics.  We have been asking you every night if you want to sleep in your crib or in your toddler bed and on that day you chose the toddler bed!  So, we tucked you in, held our breath and waited.

              Awake                                           Asleep

Ya baby!  You haven't slept in the crib since.  Of course, some mornings we find this…

A week or two later we got rid of the crib and the changing table.  I am so excited about this milestone in your life, sleeping in a "big girl" bed, but I was surprised at how I wanted to cry when the crib was gone.  I can't believe you don't need the crib anymore.  I can't believe I will never again lower your feety pajama-ed self into the crib, with its soft bumper pads and sheets.  At least I still get to tuck your feety pajama-ed self into the toddler bed, and I'm truly happy about that.

School mornings this year are so much easier than last year.  You wake up happy, jump out of bed, take off your own pajamas and diaper, throw the diaper away, and ask for your clothes to get dressed.  I cannot tell you what an improvement this is over last years school mornings.  There are no words to describe the difference.  When you are getting undressed at bath time you pull on your shirt until the neck hole is stretched over one of your shoulders and then you stick your arm into the neck hole.  I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you'll never get your shirt off that way.  (Also, you wear flip flops now.  Shoes that are easy to get off and on are a mother's dream!)

You've started climbing into the car, and then into your car seat on your own, and even putting your arms through the straps (you haven't mastered buckling the 5 point harness yet).  If I forget and try to help you, you bat my hands away and say "ALL BY MYSEFF!  ALL BY MYSEFF!" which totally cracks me up.

                            Miss Independent

You also like to wear a chef's hat in the bathtub.  (?)

One thing you are not ready for yet apparently, is potty training.  We are reading the potty books, watching the potty videos, have the potty seat set up, but when I ask you if you'd like to try sitting on the potty you say a very definite "NO!"  I'm not going to rush you, all the experts say not to rush you, but I'd be thrilled if you decided you were ready.  The other day you had a dirty diaper and you announced this by saying, "I pooped my pants!"  If that isn't enough, when I was opening your dirty diaper, never a fun activity, you said, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, there it is!"   Nice.

Your nicknames this month are…

Runtybear

Runty

Emma Yemma Ding Dong

Munchkin

Munchski

Little Moon Pie

Crabby Patty

Emmybear

Sweet Face

Pungent One

Cruddy Face

Lovely

Lovelybear

A few days ago you were playing house with Tessa.  You were the mom, and Tessa was the baby.  You would get Tessa blankets, juice, a pretend baby bottle, a pacifier, toys.  Tessa had you running all over the house, waiting on her hand and foot, and you loved it.  Tessa loves to be waited on like a princess, and you are a good helper who likes to be the boss, so this game really suits the two of you. 

Emma speak…

crocodiles/alligators are called dragons

scared is called scary, as in "I'm scary."

vitamins are called vita-nims, as in "Vita-nims, please!"

Each day you seem to pick a different toy to adore, and that makes it hard when you inevitably lose that toy.  I cannot tell you how many times this week I heard "MY PIGGY!" or "MY MONKEY!" or  "MY FISHIES!".  What this means is I get to spend some quality time searching for a lost toy, and if we are about to leave to go somewhere it morphs into frantic searching.  Good times.

You are, for the most part, such a happy kid.  Even when we were hurrying so we wouldn't be late for Tessa's first day of school, and you fell down the two steps into the garage and skinned your knee, cheer still came bubbling up out of you.  (In this picture you can still see the tears in your eyes from that fall, and yet you are joyful at the same time.)   Your good humor spreads to the rest of the family.  We are so lucky to be your family.  I'm so blessed to be your mom.

I love you,

Mommy

P.S.  Grandpa came every single day to Tessa's swimming lessons (that is 20 lessons!) to babysit you while you played so you wouldn't have to just sit on a bench and watch Tessa's swimming lesson.  You two had a blast together!

August 1, 2008

Dear Tessa,

I'm not sure what you do during afternoon "quiet time", but it sounds like the United States Women's Gymnastics Team is trying out for the Olympics in there.  I hear the pitter patter of your feet running up and down the hallway even though you know you aren't supposed to be out of your room.  You seem to know if I'm trying to get in a quick siesta while Emma is napping, and these are the days you make the most noise.

After dinner every night you try to negotiate for some dessert.  Even if we say no, you don't give up.  One night you were really being persistent, so just for kicks I made you say "I'm having a sugar fit!" to get some dessert.  (I'm having a sugar fit is what your Grandpa and Great-Grandma say when they need some dessert, so this is a long time family joke.)

For your birthday one of your friends gave you a ten dollar gift card to Target.  You picked out a High School Musical Sharpay doll and paid for it yourself with your gift card.  When you were done at the check stand you said, "I got to buy something with a credit card all by myself for the first time!"  So we had to have the credit cards = evil and gift cards = awesome chat.

One day you were playing waitress, and we had this conversation…

Tessa:  "Would you like some 100% apple juice?"

Me:  "No, I'd like some 100% obedience!"

Tessa:  "I'm sorry, that is not one of our delishes (dishes)."

 Me:  "No kidding!"

We started a two week swimming summer camp a few days ago.  You took swimming lessons once a week in Kindergarten but suddenly you are really taking off and it is amazing to see how fast you are progressing towards being a full fledged swimmer.  I may have said this before, but it is really fun to watch you learn to swim in the same pool I learned to swim in.  The pool looks the same, the locker room (sadly) looks the same, the place even smells the same.  I had such happy memories of swimming in that pool, and that happy feeling comes back to me every time I take you swimming there.  I hope you are making some of your happiest childhood memories there too.

When I ask you to pick up your toys you like to complain loudly about how tired you are, or how EMMA GOT THAT TOY OUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PICK IT UP!  I used to try to reason with you but it never worked.  I've been trying to lead by example and lately when I clean up your room we have a conversation that goes something like this…

Me:  Tessa, did I get these toys out?

You:  No

Me:  Why am I picking them up?

You: (weary tone of voice) Because we are a family, and we help each other out, and we take care of each other.  (If you were a teenager you'd roll your eyes here.)

I guess maybe I've been lecturing too much?  BUT, it is working because you are helping out more without complaining as much.

Auntie Shanell gave you the book Little House in the Big Woods for your birthday (Thanks Auntie Shanell!) and we've been reading a chapter or so every night before bed.  This is our first time reading a chapter book with hardly any pictures, and it is going great, you are very interested in the story.  I loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books as a little girl, but I didn't remember how frightening and grisly the stories are.  So far in the book they've butchered a pig, made head cheese (shudder!), blew up the bladder like a balloon and played with it, roasted the pig tail over the fire and ate it, slapped a bear, described in detail how afraid they are of wolves, and listened to numerous stories about how their father got spanked by their grandfather and/or was nearly eaten by a panther or bear.  Good times.

It is so wonderful being able to watch you take these first steps in reading.  You read entire beginning reader books to me in the evenings before bed!  We have to keep going to the library for new books because you finish reading them so fast.

Auntie Shanell and I took you and Emma to the zoo for the first time.  Here you are peeking through the trees to see the elephants.

You got to spend a week in Canada with your cousin Rianna who you still refer to as your "best friend".  I think that will probably be the highlight if your summer, right up there with Vacation Bible School and swimming lessons.

At Daddy's company picnic you rode a pony for the first time ever.  You have always been afraid of the ponies but this year Emma wanted to go, and I don't think you could handle the thought of her going for a pony ride and leaving you behind.  I was so proud of you that you overcame your fear and enjoyed the ride.

We hung the banner from your birthday party on the wall next to your bed so you could enjoy it for a little while.  (See photo.)

The next day we noticed that you had written a couple of things on the banner.

(Tessa's ooh la la.)

(I'm 6 naw.)

(I love me and me.)

Apparently there is nothing wrong with your self-esteem.

The last few days in the car we've been singing a song from your Vacation Bible School that is called "Romans 16:19" and it goes like this…

Romans 16:19 says

Be excellent at what is good

Be innocent of evil

And the God of Peace will soon crush Satan underneath your feet.

I hope you always remember those words, and that I love you so very much. 

Love,

Mommy

*****Should have been published July 27, 2008*****

Dear Emma,

You are still loving the bubbles.

You came out of your bedroom the other day with your Elmo blanket clutched around your shoulders and went running down the hall yelling "I a super hero!  I A SUPER HEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  I've since tried to set you up with a sweet cape, but you prefer your ghetto Elmo blanket cape to anything I've been able to come up with.

A few weeks ago we spent a week in Canada with your cousins and grandparents.  I'm not sure you've ever been happier.  We let you stay up until midnight most nights (unheard of at our house), you had cousins to play with all the time, Lola fed you any time of the day or night, and you got to take bubble baths in Lola's huge tub. 

Your cousin Andrew was your favorite playmate and we frequently heard you yell "ASHREW! ASHREW!" at the top of your lungs. 

We celebrated Independence day while we were in Canada… which was very odd since they don't really celebrate that holiday.  We lit some sparklers in the backyard, and you got to hold one for the first time.  God bless America, these fireworks are fun!

You are fiesty and like to give people a little thing we like to call "the business".   We have a little song from the "Yo Gabba Gabba" show that we like to sing called "Don't Bite Your Friends" and it goes like this…

Don't, Don't, Don't bite your friends

We don't bite our friends.  NO WAY!

We don't pull their hair.  Uh uh!

Friends are our friends. Uh huh!

So we treat them with care!

Don't, Don't, Don't bite your friends

Here you are giving your cousin Gabriella the business…

Here you are giving Tessa the business…

There are no pictures of you trying to give Daddy and me the business.  This war is over.  Daddy and I win.  We don't negotiate with terrorists, even two year old ones.

At Daddy's company picnic you rode a pony for the first time.  You weren't scared at all and had a blast.

We've been enjoying the hot summer weather.  Swimming in Auntie Pam's pool, running through the sprinkler, playing at the splash parks, going to camp meeting, eating Otter Pops. 

Speaking of otters, we went to the zoo for the first time with Auntie Shanell and Cedric.  You enjoyed seeing all the animals, but if you and Tessa had to pick a favorite I'm sure you'd both say the otters.

Your nicknames this month are…

• Crabby Patty
• Sweet Baby
• Lovely Bear
• Emmy Bear
• Emma Yemma Ding Dong
• Little Moon Pie
• Sweet Face
• Pungent One

When we were in Canada Tessa would run off with Rianna and you'd be left behind.  When Tessa gets out of the car for school or more recently for Vacation Bible School you get left behind.  When Tessa took ballet you had to wait in the waiting room even though I know you wanted to participate.  I'm a youngest child too, so I know what you are going through.  My heart aches when I see you get left out so many times because you aren't old enough or are too little to keep up.  I hope you know that there is no "second best" with a Mommy.  You are my second child, my second daughter… but my only Emma.

I love you,

Mommy

*****Should have been published June 27, 2008*****

Dear Emma,

Several months ago we were shopping at Target and I found some Elmo socks in the $1 Spot.   I handed them to you and you threw them out of the cart onto the floor because you were in a bit of a tizzy at that particular time.  Well, I knew you would actually want them someday, even though right at that moment you despised them, so I snuck them back into the card and hid them by my purse since the sight of them was so offensive to you at that time.  You must have seen me because when I turned around again you had stood up in the cart and threw them onto the floor again with much weeping and gnashing of teeth.  You had such a hilarious look on your face and if you'd had the vocabulary I think you might have said "I HATE THESE SOCKS! AND HERE IS WHAT I'M DOING WITH THEM!" (while hurling them onto the floor).  Today, months later, when I pulled out these brand new Elmo socks for you to wear you cried "ELMO SOCKS!" and practically swooned and hugged them.  So, let this be a lesson to you that will serve you well for the rest of your life… MOMMY IS ALWAYS RIGHT.

We took you bowling for the first time ever and you got a record! Rolling the bowling ball the slowest without it actually stopping.  I think your bowling ball's mph was 0.36.  (This picture shows the fastest mph her bowling ball reached.)

You learned to give kisses recently and are very, very enthusiastic about it.  Sometimes I have to tell you and your sister to stop smooching so much.  I'm sure you will cringe when you are older and read that, but I'll take the smooching any day over the incessant fighting over toys.

The Sharing…

The Fighting…

Like your sister, you want to decide how your hair is done each day.  Lately you want a Cookie Monster and an Oscar rubber band on your ponytail every day.  If I forget one you say, "Where Trash? Where Cookie?"  (Trash is what you call Oscar.) (See photo.)

Nicknames this month

• Pungent One
• Crabby Patty
• Emma Yemma Ding Dong
• Little Moon Pie
• Em-muh
• Sweet Baby
• Sweet Face
• Lovely

I love the sound of your voice.  When you sing Jesus Loves Me or Itsy Bitsy Spider it is like music to my ears.  I love that you wake up singing in the morning.  It is amazing that that same soft baby voice can also be scream louder than a Vitamix turned up to the highest setting and completely bring our family to a screeching halt.

Reading books has become one of your most favorite things to do.  You sit on my lap and as I'm reading you repeat the last word of the page with this serious look on your face as if you were the one actually reading the book.

We got a kitty this month.  We named her Lollyanna.  I wanted to call her Lollyanna Lavinia Chandelier (the name of Nancy's doll in the Fancy Nancy book series is Marabelle Lavinia Chandelier) but Daddy did not like that name.  When we brought her home she was really timid and hid under the couch and I explained to you that the kitty was scared.  You got a very serious look on your face and said, "Tessa, Lollyanna scary.  Lollyanna scary."  You shook your head sadly and seemed very upset about it.  You love the kitty so much… maybe a little too much since I'm pretty sure the kitty is hiding from you most of the time.  We are working on the concept of gentleness.  (Since allergy problems have become an issue, Auntie Pam has graciously agreed to let Lollyanna live at her house but still be our kitty.)

We put a new cover on the trampoline and this has enabled you to get on and off the trampoline by yourself.  Now it is possible for you to run out in the backyard to gleefully enjoy having the entire jumping surface to yourself, and not be knocked over by your big sister's enthusiastic jumping.  The other day I looked out in the back yard and you were blowing bubbles as you jumped. 

You learned the fine art of complimenting others this month.  We frequently hear you exclaim, "I like your shirt! I like your hair!"  After you run out of obvious things to compliment you get creative, "I like your nose!  I like your ears!"  Sometimes I hear you clomp, clomp, clomping down the hallway in my new red espadrille wedges shouting, "I like your shoes!  I like your shoes!"  A few days ago I had on the heart shaped necklace Daddy gave me for my birthday and you whispered to me, "I like your Care bear!"  Care bear is what you call anything heart shaped.  Maybe because your Care bear has a heart on it's tummy.

You know what, Emma?  I like your Care bear.

I love you,

Mommy

June 1, 2008

Dear Tessa,

You finished your first season of soccer this month.  Daddy and I are so proud of you for being brave enough to try, and for doing your best.  A typical soccer class for you went something like this.

Have fun doing drills and learning skills.

Snack time.

Run around half heartedly after the ball during the "game". 

Celebrate wildly when your team got a goal.

Occasionally try to play goal tender even though the games you play are open goal games.

The "Spring Program" at your school was a fun event to attend.  You waved at us a couple of times from the stage and sang your little heart out.  You seem to really love music.

I will always remember how excited you were this year about Mother's day and my birthday.  You made me a key chain at school and managed to keep it a secret and give it to me on Mother's day.  You also bought me a red geranium from school.  That had to be given a couple of day early… you know, since I pick you up from school and it is therefore  impossible difficult to hide it.  (So that is what the $5 you wanted was for!) 

We went to see "Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up" and you really tried to get into it.  Despite the fact that you used to love and adore Elmo a few years ago, you maintain that Elmo is for babies and typically you want nothing to do with him. You did have a very good time at the concert, but this picture tells how you really feel.  Check out the look on your face.  (The word I think we are looking for here is bershon.)

Trying to rein in your fashion adventures has been a challenge.  The other day you put on jeans and put a pair of pink stretch pants of the top of them.  Sometimes I let you dress yourself and just make whatever fashion mistakes you need to make to maintain your individuality, but in this case I felt I had to intervene.  It is never okay to wear stretch pants (of any color) over the top of jeans.  This is a rule that will serve you well throughout your life.  (Now that I've told you that, a new fashion will come out where people wear stretch pants over the top of jeans… that would be just my luck.)  I try to suggest possible outfits, and give you "constructive criticism" about the outfits you put together, but when I mention one of your ensembles is not quite right you say, "Mom, that is not a nice thing to say!" which is kindergarten-speak for "How dare you!"  

You must have learned the phrase "shake your booty" at school.  You taught it to Emma and now I have to hear "SHAKE MY BOOTY!  SHAKE MY BOOTY!" from Emma (and watch her waggle her butt) a hojillion hours a day.  Thanks.  Thanks a lot. 

You've really lost your fear of playground equipment this year and are very adventurous when we go to the park these days.

Your teacher tells me that she is so proud of how far you have come in your swimming lessons.  You went from crying and clinging to the side at the beginning of the school year to being able to float and "dog paddle" all by yourself. 

Too bad someone barfed in the pool during your last swimming lesson.

Swimming was one of the highlights of your kindergarten school year.  It is so cool that you are learning to swim in the exact same pool that I learned to swim in.  My happy memories of this pool go so far back that even the chlorine smells good to me.

Your friend Felicity had a birthday party at the bowling alley and you went bowling for the first time ever.  You did amazingly well, and got more points than I've ever gotten while bowling.  I find consolation in the fact that there were bumpers in your lane so maybe that is the reason you can bowl better than me.  (Either that, or all the Wii bowling you've done actually helped?)  In this picture you decided to sit on the floor and wait for the ball to roll (slowly!) to the end of the lane.

The Three Musketeers.  Felicity, Brenda and Tessa.

The highlight of this month for you was when Auntie Lhevinne and all your cousins came for a visit.  You are still talking about the water fight we had in Auntie Pam's back yard.  They happened to be here to see your last soccer game of the season, and also to go to the Iris Festival, where you and Andrew played a fishing game and won some stuffed animals.

I was recently thinking back to when I was pregnant with you about how blessed and lucky I felt.  How I couldn't express in words what it means to finally have the baby you've wanted for almost 12 years… and the depth of my gratitude to God for giving you to me and daddy.  This poem written in the 1700-1800s by Hannah Moore ran through my mind almost every day when I was pregnant with you. 

Accept my thoughts for thanks

I have no words

My soul, o'er fraught with gratitude

Rejects the aid of language

Lord! - Behold my heart

And now, almost six years later, those same words run through my mind when I look at you.

I love you so much.

Love,

Mama

May 27, 2008

Dear Emma,

You are very fierce lately, growling and making scary faces at us, pretending to be a tiger or a bear.  We are supposed to act afraid and cower a little bit, and it seems to bring you a lot of joy to think that you've frightened us. 

(Never Crabby… yeah, right!)

You have a couple of plastic bugs and snakes you got in a birthday party goody bag and you like to bring them to me, crinkle up your eyes and say "Pider!", and I'm supposed to act scared.  When you come across a real spider, you actually are the one who is scared, and I have nobody to blame but myself for this.  Sometimes when I get surprised by a black spider in the kitchen sink first thing in the morning you can hear my screams all the way to Canada.   You know all the words and motions to "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" song and it is one of your very favorites.

You discovered Tessa's computer and like to play the Elmo games at the Sesame Street website.  This typically involves you watching the screen and smacking me on the arm when I need to click on something or press a key for you.  Awesome fun times for you, maybe not such a good time for me.

You've discovered the awesomeness of band aids and neosporin (or Petro Carbo) which you refer to as "speshul kweem".  You come to me many times a day with imaginary hurts that need speshul kweem.  Your sad face and serious expression are so adorable, it is hard to keep a straight face.

We've been trying to teach you to pray, but so far your prayers are limited to "Jesus, Amen!" 

At lunch time you come to me and say "I'm hungwy, samweech!"  I know what you are really meaning to say is  "Dear Mother, I'm hungry.  Would you please make me a grilled cheese sandwich."  Another of your favorite things to eat is noodles, which you call "meenoos".   The other day we were watching Elmo's World and when Mr. Noodle came on you said, "Mr. Meenoos!"

Speaking of Sesame Street, we went to see "Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up" a few weeks ago.  It was magical to watch your face as you saw Elmo on stage.  You were horrified at all the two year olds there having tantrums and I realized it has been quite a while since you've had a tantrum of your own.  

Today I listened as you ran up and down the hallway singing "Jesus Loves Me" at the top of your lungs.  Your baby voice is so pure and sweet, I could cry if I think about it long enough.

Nearly every day you lose your taggie blanket somewhere in the house.  When you finally find it you say, "I pound it!" and then point at it and say, "wite dair, wite dair" or "dair it is!"   We bought a spare taggie blanket that is identical to the one you love so much, but you can tell the difference, and if we try to hand you the imposter taggie blanket you initially grab it but then pull your hand back as if it has been burned, as if to say "THAT IS NOT TAGGIE, DID YOU THINK I WOULD NOT NOTICE?"

It is really fun to read to you these days.  You enjoy books now, and listening to stories, which is a big improvement over a few months ago when all you wanted to do was turn the pages as fast as you could and then throw the book on the floor.

Before Daddy and I go to bed we open the door to your room to let in the warm air, since your room tends to be kind of chilly.  When we open the door we get blasted with an odor that is kind of sweet and really strong, so we like to call you Pungent One.  We also call you Emma Yemma Ding Dong, Runty, Runtybear, Emmybear, Little Pooh, and Little Moon Pie.

Your Auntie Lhevinne and cousins visited us, and you were so thrilled at all the attention you got from your cousins.

I love you so much and I thank God for you every day.

Love,

Mama

Dear Tessa,

You love school and are learning so much.  Swimming, P.E., music and recess are your favorite school subjects.  When I pick you up after school you come out the door and your face is just beaming smiles. 

You told me that you play your own version of Hide-and-Go-Seek called "Hide-and-Go-Poop" with Cordelia at school.  Remind me not to invite Cordelia over to the house any time soon. 

(Thanks for the non-stop potty humor Kindergarten!)

(Also for the never ending cold-flu-ear-infection-pneumonia-Bubonic-plague.)

I see this face all too often these days.  Sometimes, especially in the morning, there is no pleasing you.  I'm thinking you are maybe a "night owl" rather than a "morning person".

You torment Emma endlessly, and then wonder why she doesn't want to come give you a hug.  I've tried explaining that if you were nice to Emma, she would be nice to you.  This concept has not sunk in yet.

We call you TessieBear, Big Girl, Lovely, and Sweetheart.

My favorite time of day with you is reading time right before bed.  You pick out a few books and we snuggle up on the couch.  I have a feeling in a very short time you are going to be reading the books to me, instead of me reading them to you. 

You've been setting the table all by yourself for quite a while now.  You are just like me, you want the table to look pretty so you put out place mats and candles.   

You can be persuaded to pick up your toys, and even the toys in Emma's room.  Sometimes this involves bribes, but it is always worth it.

Your things are strewn from one end of the house to another.  Daddy told me that he found one of your sticky earring stickers on his chair at work, which means it rode around on the seat of his pants for a while first.  AWESOME! 

We were getting ready last Sunday for your play date with your friend Sadie.  Since we went to a party on Saturday night, our house was destroyed less than clean.  We had a lot to do, and only a little time to do it.  We worked for an hour or two, and then you went in a flopped down on our bed and said, "So do you think we should work to get ready for the play date or should we just lay down and talk so we can forget about it?"  Ah, dear girl, you are so much like your dad and me it is amazing.

Tessa, I love you and thank God for you every day.

Love,

Mama

Note to self:  Check Tessa's pants pockets for pet rocks, crayons, and lip gloss BEFORE putting them in the wash.

**I'm six months behind on these newsletters but will be catching up soon. Hopefully.**

Dear Emma,

Every week day we drop Tessa off at school and do errands together.  You are such a trooper and don't mind shopping at all.  Even grocery shopping, which makes your sister wail "HOW MANY ITEMS DO WE HAVE TO GET?" if we even so much as turn the car towards a grocery store parking lot. 

I'm glad we get to spend this uninterrupted time together, since you've been splitting your mommy time with Tessa since the day you were born.  You like to snuggle up with me in the rocking chair and read a book, watch Elmo or just look at pictures on the computer.  We cover up with an Elmo "binket" to keep warm.  

My favorite thing about you right now is how cuddly you are.  You love hugs and kisses and like to be held and rocked.  You say "huckgz!" and if I walk into another room you follow me yelling "Mama, are you?" which is your way of saying, "Mama, where are you?"

You also say "I hold you" when you want to be picked up and carried.  You walk all the way to Tessa's classroom in the morning, but after we drop her off it is "I hold you" all the way back to the car.

Daddy calls you Little Moon Pie and I call you Lovely Bear or Sweet Girl.  Fuss Budget is a popular favorite nickname as well.  Oh, and Runty (smallest in the family).  Also, Elmoid.

Still in love with Elmo?  Check. 

Nap time is really fun these days.  All I have to say to you is "Are you ready for your nap?" and you run to the carpet and flop down, calling out for "tickles".  Since we added tickling to the before nap routine, suddenly naps seem like a good idea to you.   I feel so lucky to have stumbled on this idea.  A true golden mothering moment.

There was a little girl who had a little curl

right in the middle of her forehead. 

And when she was good she was very, very good. 

And when she was bad she was… oh, never mind.

You've been having less temper tantrums lately, and for that we are grateful.  However, last night when we got into the car to go to a party you decided that would be a perfect time to see if you could make a noise with your mouth that is even louder than a leaf blower.  You know, to see if my ears would actually bleed.  I've been trying to get a tantrum on video, to laugh at in future years.  Also, as proof of the loudness you were capable of producing at such a young age and without the aid of a megaphone.  When you are having a tantrum we like to refer to your mouth as the "pie hole of doom". 

Thanks for helping me unload the dishwasher every day.  I appreciate the help.  If you'd refrain from licking the dishes before handing them to me, I'd appreciate that also.

Ah, sleeping girl.  How precious you are.

I love you just the way you are.

Love,

Mama

P.S.  I'm six months behind on these letters to you, but never fear… I have plans to catch up on them soon and also post about your Elmo birthday party and the Elmo cake I made for you.

(This letter was supposed to be posted on July 1.  I'm running VERY late.) 

Dear Tessa,

Happy 5th Birthday!

It is hard to believe you were this small five short years ago.

You had so many events and milestones this month. 

Your last day of preschool.

Your ballet recital.  Daddy and I were so proud to watch you dance on stage.  You were so brave and really seemed to enjoy yourself.  You did such a great job!

Vacation Bible School was this month.  It is one of the highlights of your year.  You love the crafts, songs, playmates and Bible stories.  This year you REALLY loved the red and white shirt.

You got your ears pierced.

Your cousin Kiara graduated from the 8th grade this month.  The day after her graduation you put on your Dora hat and your bathrobe and told me you were graduating too.

We had your 5th birthday party this month.  You rode the carousel and played with your friends and had a blast.

Grandma and Grandpa bought you a new twin sized big girl bed for your birthday.

You and Emma are partners in crime.  If you get put in time out, Emma will come running to bring Cuppy to you and to keep you company.  When she is older she will learn that this is a no-no and defeats the purpose of a time out.

When I was making cupcakes for your birthday you told me, "Mom, if you give me a cupcake I'll play nice with Emma and I won't push her over."  So!  My suspicions that you push Emma over for fun were confirmed.  (You also like to "kidnap" her by lying on top of her so she can't get away.)

Here is a picture of a lunchtime picnic on the back porch.

Your nicknames this month are Lovely, Sweet Girl and TessieBear.

Daddy says you have a knack for renaming the icons on his desktop (computer).  His current Internet Explorer is named "nbbbgvfdgbfghbggg".  You are learning to read a bit, sounding words out and writing every day.

You told me you'd like to grow your bangs out, so we are working on that.  You want to do your own hair and choose your own clothes every day.  I have to veto you some times, and insist on doing your hair sometimes, but mostly I'm trying to let you be independent and do it yourself. 

Some interesting things you say this month…

breffixt = breakfast

apple dumplet = apple dumpling

everyfing = everything

You would wear fancy pink dresses every day of the week if you could.

What do I wish for you in the next year of your life?  Health, happiness and Jesus in your heart. 

Never doubt how much I treasure you.  You have brought five years of sunshine to your daddy and me, and I love you so much.

Love,

Mama