Dear Katherine,

Today you turn six. It is true that when your ‘baby’ turns six, it makes you stop in your tracks. There will no longer be a little kid in our house. You are growing and growing and growing. It is hard to call you ‘the little one’ anymore. You have become such a grown up.

You are a laugher, a singer, a dancer, a runner, a swinger and a talker.  In fact, there are some evenings when I swear the air is filled with your voice for non-stop hours. You love playing with your baby dolls as much as love playing monsters on the playground with your friends. You love the color pink and say that red is your second favorite color because it is almost pink.

You are such a helper with the little ones at Montessori as you create your own amazing work- paintings, the bead chain, your workbook and long vowel words. At Somerville you listen excitedly to read alouds and you are independently reading more and more advanced books each day. Just the other night, I listened as you read entire books aloud to me. You know that made me smile.

You are an amazing little sister, almost always patient when Caroline is grumpy as if you can sense the space she sometimes needs. You are an amazingly loving daughter, telling me again and again that I am the best mommy in the whole world.

Mommy and Daddy feel so lucky to call you our sweet girl.

Happy, happy day…