Happy 6th Birthday, Camryn!

Dear Camryn,

It's happened again. Another year has somehow slipped past me, and you are now a whopping SIX years old. How can this be possible? Six is big. Six is old. Six is the very end of any semblance of babyhood you once had.

In this past year, you have become a very independent person. You now ride the bus to and from kindergarten each day, make your own choices, take responsibility for your learning, and make friends on your own. You are well-known and well-liked by the staff and students at Deer Creek, and you revel in your daily adventures and new friendships.

You have simply learned so much this past year. You love to write, and you read independently, often for an hour at a time, while lounging on your bed. You recently blew your oral reading test out of the water, surprising both your teacher and us with your astronomical scores. We are so proud of your academics. You have taken to school so naturally. Your teacher-parents couldn't be more proud. :)

This year, you have also mastered riding your scooter and your two wheeler bicycle (no training wheels!) for hours on end. You and your buddy Colin are inseparable on sunny days, riding and scootering up and down our street, over and over again. And always with a tremendous grin on your face. In him, you have truly made a good friend.

Your other new adventure? Tooth loss. (But only in the best way possible.) For two months, you nurtured your wiggly front baby tooth, and a few weeks ago, finally got up the nerve to pull it. You were brave, and didn't cry, but it still blows my mind that you are old enough have permanent teeth in the first place!

For as much as you've grown, some things have not changed. You still love your weekly ballet class, and have added tap to your repertoire as well. You are still under the spell of the one Miss Taylor Swift, and have now memorized each and every one of the songs from her newest CD. And you still love to teach, lead, play and giggle with your little sister. The two of you entertain each other every day with art projects, dance parties, elaborate Barbie and baby doll scenarios, and never-ending games of Hide-and-Seek.

I can't even imagine what you will come up with next, but I can't wait to see what it will be. Happy Birthday, my sweet, independent big girl. You make us so proud.

Hugs and kisses. We love you.
Mommy & Daddy