Jennifer at 5

The reality is starting to sink in.

My baby is growing up.

I can't stop it either: tomorrow evening I have an appointment to register her for Kindergarten!!!!

~sigh~

Here are just some of the things that I want to remember about you, my little one, at 5 years old:

- How you make up songs all day long about everything, but mostly about how you love me and how sweet I am and how I'm the best mommy in the world.

- How looooong it takes you to eat dinner every night.

- How you still want me to rock you for 5 minutes on the edge of your bed every night before bedtime.

- How you are still obsessed with your Pooh Bear silky cuddles (blankets) and have to have them all in bed with you every night.

- How you say your sorry's so good and are very sincere when doing it.

- How you can't talk with an "inside voice"......everything is at a near yell.

- How you and your big sister have made a deal: if she tickles you then you get to pull her hair.

- How you looooove clementines and would eat 5 a day if I would let you.

- How you know the rule: if you ask for special treats then you don't get one, and you have found a loophole around it. Instead of ASKING for a special you will just point at one or start talking about how much you love specials and hope that I will realize that you want one and give you one.

- How cute you are when you say "super" with everything. For example, you are always "super-super tired" or "super-super hungry" or "super-super sorry".

- Your lisp and how your little tongue pops out of your mouth everytime you make an "s" sound.

- How sometimes you only have a few minutes of concentration then need to move onto something else.

- How you are obsessed with making orange juice and fruit salad and ask me almost every day if we can make some at home.

- How you are not a quitter. You will keep trying to do something until you do it and rarely ask for help or get frustrated.

- How you will get out of bed early on the weekends and climb into your sister's bed and cuddle with her before starting your day.

- How you put your pants on backwards the other day and didn't notice for a few hours.

- How much you love when I put a braid in your hair at the top instead of a hair tie.

- How great you have always brushed your teeth. And how you manage to get the toothpaste everywhere in the process.

- How brave you are when getting shots except for the last time when you had to get three at one visit. Three was just too much.

- How much you love to wear cotton dresses in the summer.

- How you picked out a pair of silver flats for Church and you and Daddy call them your Cha-Cha shoes.

- How mad you get when I won't kiss you after you let the dog lick you on the lips.

- How brave you are at trying new things. You would go on the scariest rollercoaster if you weren't too small.

- How you torment the dog (Daisy) and how she lets you.

- How much you LOVE cuddles.

- How you came home from school the other day and said in the most proud voice ever: Mommy, today at lunch I ate a whole half of one of my broccoli's!!!

- How you and your sister bicker and argue one second then love each other the next.

- How you have to give multiple kisses and hugs to me and daddy every time we are leaving the house, and then when you're done you always say: Now I want LAST kiss and hug.

- How you will hold a conversation with a complete stranger and have shown very little evidence of shyness.

- How you randomly come up to me numerous times a day and just say "your sweet", then walk away.

- How hard it is for you to listen. We have to tell you at least 4 times to do something because you get distracted in the middle and end up doing something else.

- How you still can't unbuckle your carseat buckles.

- How you would prefer to stay in your jammies all day.

- How you memorized the Our Father prayer by listening to Stephanie practice it a few times in the car for CCD class.

- How much you love Spongebob.

- How much you hate mashed potatoes.

- How adorable your giggle is.

- How you tell me all the time: I can't STAND how much I love you!!!!

- How much of an awesome sharer you are. I've never seen a 5 year old so willing to give half of her candy or cookies or "specials" to anyone who asks.