Letter to Elise, age 9

Dear Elise,

Today you turned nine. We celebrated tonight with turtle cupcakes. You are a bit of a turtle fanatic. Ever since doing a school report on turtles a year or two ago, you have loved turtles. You claim to be obsessed with them. Imagine my surprise when I made a late-night last-minute trip to the grocery store last night for a birthday dessert and found turtle cupcakes! What were the odds of that? I'm just picturing the baker making cupcakes that day thinking, "OK... I'll make some plain bright colored cupcakes, and some Disney character ones, and some with flowers on top... oh! And turtles! Yes... the ever popular turtle-topped cupcakes!" 

Anyway, to say that you were thrilled with the turtle cupcakes is an understatement. It was like turtle heaven for you.

I think nine is going to be a good year for you. I just have a good feeling about it. You are repeating third grade this year and doing it with more maturity and class than I could have ever imagined.  You know it was the right decision for you, and you stand up to anyone who makes comments about it. You are gaining confidence in yourself, and that is a priceless reward for what was a tough parenting decision.

 

You recently moved out of your shared room with Nina into the guest room. You were in need of a quiet space that was all your own.  Initially, we weren't sure whether the move would be temporary or permanent. It has been such a positive for you though that we are going to convert the room into being yours long-term. The ability to truly get away from the chaos of two little sisters is really important to you. You hide away in your room and read... and read... and read. You have become a voracious reader lately. We can barely keep you stocked in books. You fly through your stash every time we go to the library. You take a book with you everywhere. You have been reading a lot of classics like Black Beauty, Anne of Green Gables, and The Story of Dr. Doolittle. You love them all. I hope this is the beginning of a lifelong love affair with books.

You have decided to take a break from tumbling. I think that is a good decision. You seem to have plateaued in skill level, so it is a good time to try something new. You have talked about piano, but I'm not sure what you'll end up trying next. You are still very active in your Girl Scout troop and are looking forward to a troop camping trip next month.

Overall, I just feel like you're in a good place right now, like your world is coming together. You are past the illnesses of last year. You are doing better in school and feeling more confident as a result. You appreciate the privacy of your own room, but you help out around the house a lot too. I think nine is your year!

I love you.

Love, Mama

Comments

[Tracym]

Love this. She is an amazing girl. Don't let her tell Eloise that she has her own room. The pressure is on here. ugh.
xoxo,t