Friday, January 02, 2009

PSF - Happy 5th Birthday Dova


Dova and her cake

I'm not sure how this happened, but my baby has turned into a beautiful, spunky little girl!  So here is my letter to Dova as she turns five.

Dova, even though your birthday falls on the day after Christmas, you never complain about it.  We failed to plan a proper birthday party for you this year because of vacation and the ice storm earlier this month. Plus Mom is sick again (101.2F as I write this).  But you had a great time going to the movies with your best friend and her family.  We think that it is wonderful that you've been friends with your BFF since you were babies, but you should really try to play with other boys and girls as well.  I know they may not be as smart or articulate as you are, but you'll have to deal with that for the rest of your life.  Please learn some tolerance.

We are so grateful that you and your brother love each other and play well (i.e. loudly) together.  You will always be able to count on him, as he is extremely good-hearted and loves you as much as we do.  Sometimes you can be defiant and difficult, like when we ask you to do simple things like going to the bathroom.  But other times you are extremely sweet and snuggly.  You give great hugs, wrapping your whole body around us, and nestling your head onto our shoulders with utter contentedness.  You enjoy life to the fullest, never afraid to jump in the water at the beach or to play with all your dolls, all at once, in all the rooms of the house, much to my organizational despair.  You are fiercely independent, walking through all of Walt Disney World by yourself and refusing to ride in the stroller that I rented one day.  But you still love your burpie and need to take it everywhere, and you can't go to sleep without it nestled against your nose.

You love Disney princess toys first and foremost, but also Barbie dolls and stuffed animals.  You've become adept at using the Leapster and your LeapFrog Tag, but don't use your Gameboy much and have never tried the Wii (except for drums on Rock Band). You love to color and draw and have started to write words.  There are many words that you can read, but you would much rather we read to you.  You love to wear dresses and tights and put on make up and nail polish (don't know where those genes came from).  You love hosting a good tea party and making sky high crabby patties, much to our ears' chagrin when they inevitably clatter to the floor.

Unlike your brother, you love to eat all sorts of food.  You love blackberries and raspberries picked from the yard and everything from smoothies to marinated bean salad to mom's famous chili.  We had been worried about your weight, but this year, your weight and height percentiles have finally started to converge.  You love gymnastics but you hate soccer.  And you are dying to learn the piano (I hope).

Most of all, you have always been articulate beyond your years.  Your teachers and everyone around you get a kick out of things you say, drawing conclusions that no average five-year-old makes.  You love to sing, tell stories, and ask "What are we doing tomorrow?  And the next day?  And the next day?"

I want you to stay this age forever, but I know you are dying to grow up.  You told me, "Don't worry Mom, I'll stay five for a whole year!"  Indeed you will.  Happy Birthday Dova, we love you.

Of course no post about Dova is complete without one of her wonderful outtakes.  She is certainly full of life!

Dova laughs

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

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