Ava at 5 1/2 years old

Ava Marie, how is it that my baby girl is already 5 and going to Kindergarten?! I swear it feels like yesterday that you were in diapers! The past 5 years have been the absolute best years of my life and it has all started with you. To say that I am  blessed to  have a daughter like you would be a huge understatement. You mean everything to your daddy and I and we are so proud of the person you are becoming. I am so sad that I won't have you home with me next year and that  I can't tuck you under my wing and shelter you from the world BUT I know that going to school is part of growing up and you are ready for Kindergarten. You are ready to meet new friends, be independent, soak up information and learn. I am so grateful that you love school and are ready for this next chapter in your life. It makes it a little easier on your momma to let you go. You are such a special little girl and we couldn't love you more!!

Here are some things about you at 5 1/2 years old:

*You are still very in to princesses. Probably more than ever actually! You love anything princess related, especially your collection of little princess dolls and your princess dresses. Frozen is your current infatuation, along with every 2-8 year old little girl.

*You wear your dress up clothes more than your regular clothes. 9 times out of 10 if we are home, you are in a princess dress of some sort.

*You like to put on dance shows (or fashion shows as they have recently become).

*You also like to play "hair salon" and have tea parties.

*You still enjoy coloring and doing crafts. You ask me at least once a day (no lie) if you can do a craft. When we don't have craft supplies on hand you get creative and will take boxes out of the recycling bin and make something out of them, such as a fairy house or a princess castle. I enjoy doing crafts with you so much.

*You love your little sister so much and as much as you hate to admit it, I know you love your little brother too. When you are sweet to him and include him in whatever you are doing he just follows your command. He looks up to his big sister a lot.

*You love school and love to be with your friends. You told me yesterday that " you couldn't wait to start Kindergarten". :)

*You are still shy (or reserved as some may say) but once you get comfortable you open up more.

*You are still very self aware and don't like a lot of attention put on you. If you are hurt or sad at school or somewhere else in public you wont show your emotions because you don't want others to notice. We are working on this.

*You are currently sharing a room with Connor. You go to bed around 7 and sleep till about 6:15-6:30. We lay you down first in Kendall's room so you can fall asleep without the distraction of your brother and then once both of you are asleep we move you back to your bed for the night.

*You wake up about once a night to go to the bathroom and then you go back to sleep. You are scared of going to the bathroom by yourself for some reason and you usually ask us to go with you. :/

*The things that scare you most are thunder, lightening, volcanoes, and thought of a fire. You ask us to pray every night that you won't have bad dreams about any of these things.

*Aside from your amazing sense of creativity and imagination, you have a great deal of determination. You don't give up easily and I admire that about you.

*Your favorite color is purple.

*You want to be a dentist when you grow up.

*You wear mostly size 5t-6t but 4t fits you best in bottoms.

 Pretending they are real bugs

 Making recycled crafts

 Playing hair salon

 Tea party time

 Dress up with best friends

Best big sister ever

Ava Marie, you are a beauty on the inside and out. Being your mom is my greatest privilege and the past 5 years that I have spent with you at home have been such a blessing. I thank God every day for you and for the opportunity to be a stay at home with my precious children. I have loved every day with you since the day you were born and I will always look back at this time in my life and remember all the many many memories that we have made together in my early years of motherhood. You have taught me so much about what it means to be a mother, to be kind and loving, to be patient, to be a good role model, to be creative, and to live in the moment and have fun. You are so very special and I love you more than you will ever know!

xoxo, Mommy