Hello Little One,

We made it! Like two soldiers army-crawling through the trenches we made it 365 sleeps through a global pandemic. Maybe you won’t remember this year or maybe you will, but if you do, I hope you remember how much fun we had. I hope you remember blanket forts, and rock collecting, and syrupy pancakes, and the words to every silly song we ever sang at bedtime. I know that there is no other person I’d have wanted to spend a global pandemic with, so I hope, more than anything, that you remember each and every time this year that I said, “I love you”

I have read that kids spell love with four letters: T-I-M-E, and we certainly had a lot of that this year! I hope that we have a lot more time for years to come: more dancing, more books, more tree-climbing, more singing in the car, more birthdays and holidays and adventures and friends. I promise you I will always be there to keep you safe, to love you completely, and to learn and grow alongside you.

I learned a lot about you and about me this year. I learned that you like to take your time at the breakfast table, because “toast takes a long time to chew.” I learned that I needed to learn patience and that once I gave into the toast-chewing, mornings went by a lot more quickly. I learned that you like the purple vitamins, but not the green ones. Duly noted. I learned your favorite dog is the Chihuahua. I learned that you made your school friends laugh online almost as much as you make me laugh at home.

I promise you I will take all of these lessons you’ve taught me moving forward, so I can love you better. I promise to slow down and listen to you. I promise to never take our playground time for granted again. I promise to keep up our “nature walks” and silly songs at bedtime. You’ve been with me a long time—six years! Six years is 2,190 sleeps. Six years is AT LEAST 2,190 cups of coffee, but probably more like 4,000. I wouldn’t trade these years for the world. You’ve taught me so much, and I hope I’ve taught you so much, too. Thank you for being mine. 

Love, 

Momma