4 birthday!

Dear 4 Year Old Zoe,

Wow, I just typed that. Weird.

How are you FOUR? HOW, I ask?

It feels like just a few months ago I had a little tiny cry that I weaned you at a little over 2. And only a few months ago that you learned to walk. Holding up your arms like a little ape.

Time flies, kid. You don't think so now but holy shit time flies. You'll see.

The 4 year old you is delightful. You're not as defiant as you were at 3.5 and you're sassier than you were at 2. You're spunky and sweet and hilarious and so much fun to be around. The other day you told your dad he smelled like armpits and then smiled at him with your sweet little cherubic face - as if you'd just told him he'd won father of the year. Atta girl.

You have learned to write your name (still have a little bit of trouble with the Z - sometimes it looks like ...well, not exactly a Z) and you can write out words if I help with spelling. It's amazing. One day you could suddenly do it. Funny how that works.

Your 4 birthday, as you called it, was SO much fun. You were so into it this year and we celebrated the crap out of it. Three big, huge celebrations for your birthday. We decided to forego the "kids party" after last year's Chuck E. Cheese debacle and opted to take you and Gabby to the mall to do lunch, Build A Bear, carousel rides and ice cream. You guys had a BLAST.

For your family party, we had Grandpa David, Grandpa Russell, Grandma Jackie, Aunt Jill, Uncle Mark, Sophie, Dominic, Jack and Josie and we did a Hello Kitty pinata, pizza and pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie is your new favorite dessert and you requested it in lieu of cake. 

Since your birthday was on a Tuesday, both of the OTHER celebrations took place on the weekend so we celebrated AGAIN on your real birthday. You took cinnamon bread to school (your choice) and we had lasagne for dinner and cupcakes for dessert. You only ate the frosting. 

We are having so much fun. We're all going bananas with excitement over Christmas (everyone's coming here this year). You have a preschool Christmas program on Thursday in which you'll be singing Christmas songs - only you can never seem to remember which ones. 

I love you so much, my peanut. These last four years have been the best of my life. I am so lucky. 

Love, 

Mama