Happy 5th Birthday, Maile!

Dear Maile,

Happy 5th birthday to our big, little girl!  How is it possible that you are already five years old?  You are such an amazing soul and the perfect balance of light hearted kid and deep, thoughtful thinker. We love you and the way you make our family complete!

Here is just a glimpse into who you are today, as a big five year old girl . . .

You are a child who . . .
. . . loves to sing and dance - especially to Grease songs and any current top 40 songs.
. . . has discovered a love of cauliflower in the past year, but tomatoes still top the list, too!
. . . can't get enough of pool time, even when the water is colder than we'd like it to be.
. . . absolutely loves everything about school.
. . . has been exploring different sides of yourself this year - a sporty side and a girly side.
. . . reads and reads and reads . . . from signs and labels to chapter books.. . . asks for permission (usually more than once) before doing or eating something that seems indulgent.
. . . wonders whether or not certain  foods have artificial dyes, high fructose corn syrup and/or partially hydrogenated oils (and then you try to find a label to check the ingredients list).
. . .can't resist a treat, even if it isn't completely healthy.
. . . believes blue and yellow are the best colors ever.
. . . says your favorite thing to do with your parents is to go on vacation.
. . . still thinks Sweet Tomatoes is the greatest restaurant of all time.
. . . loves your nine cousins and wishes you could see them every day.
. . . takes great pride in your responsibility to feed your dog, Duke, dinner every day.
. . . loves to play with Duke, and also loves telling him what to do and what not to do.
. . . has grown immensely in your self-confidence this past year.
. . . runs hard and plays hard in sports class each week.
. . . tried ice skating for the first time this year.
. . . wants to explore lots of different places for summer camp, after carefully considering each camp's theme.
. . . enjoys climbing and is getting braver with climbs and jumps.
. . . knows how to navigate the App Store on iPad for free, four star or higher educational apps.
. . . tells the most amazing, made-up stories, especially for puppet show time.
. . . loves to rehearse and perform for an audience.
. . . likes to create different ways to "blow it up" when fist bumping - depending on what's being celebrated.
. . . maintains a rotating collection of books from the library that hovers around 100 each week.
. . . could play with little "scene pieces" for hours.
. . . still takes your shoes off immediately upon entering anyone's house.
. . . remind us every single day that rushing only makes us later.
. . . couldn't be more loved by your mom and dad.

Happy 5th birthday, Mailea!  You are our sunshine!
With love,
Mommy and Daddy