5 years old

Dear Alexis,

I'm not really sure where the time has gone.  It seems like only yesterday you were a wee little 6lb peanut making her entrance to this world.  And here you are today, 5 years old.  Opinionated, funny, compassionate.  My little miracle in every sense of the word. 

You amaze me on a daily basis with how big your heart is.  You seem to feel everything and it makes you sad to know that things die (your carnation from the dentist lasted over a month...but didn't make it much more), and happy to know that new life is born in the spring (watching a video of a baby pig being born at the museum didn't prompt the questions I thought it would). 

You have an amazing love of science right now...and we're trying to keep that.  We went to the Museum of Science and Industry and spent the ENTIRE day there.  You could have spent another 5 days there...you were SO excited to see all the exhibits and participate in the experiments.  The weather exhibit was your favorite...standing in the middle of a vortex, creating tsunamis, watching avalanches.  You applied what you saw to real life...telling me there was a vortex in the toilet when you flushed!  This resulted in lots of flushing!

You also love watching "How it's Made" on the Science channel...and come running whenever you hear the "theme song".  I love that you love this stuff.  You can tell people how lampshades are made and what rawhide is without batting an eye. 

I'm so in love with you everyday.  I see you fall and I cringe inside, but then smile when you give me the thumbs up and your signature "I'm OK!" and get right back up and running.  You continue to love your gymnastics class...and want to branch out to ballet as well.  You also love hockey just as much as we do!  Telling me this morning that the "BlackHawks ewiminated the Blues!" (YAY!). 

You're still a little peanut.  Weighing only 39lbs, but you've grown almost 3 inches in the last 6 months and are now 42 3/4 inches tall.  You are wearing size 6 jeans...size 6x shirts and size 11 shoes.  You had 2 shots at your well visit and were not keen on them. 

Your paperwork is all done for kindergarten.  I can't believe you will be in school full time in the fall.  I'm excited for you and sad at the same time.  I enjoy our mommy and me moments after preschool.  We will just need to make new moments won't we? 

I tell you every single day that I love you.  I love hearing you tell me you love me.  I hope you never tire of hearing me tell you how much you mean to me.  I hope you always know how fiercely PROUD I am to be your mama. 

Love you to the moon and back,

Mama