My dearest Lily:
This past year has been a year that has seen you come into your own in so many ways. Dad and I have always been so taken with your independence and your ability to concentrate and focus on things, which has always been one of your best qualities. And this year was no different.
This year in Kindergarten you set your sights on learning to read and you did just that. You practically did it by yourself over the course of a weekend. You would just sit and sound out the words. A few days later you were literally reading books which turned into you taking on reading short chapter books.
Even as I write this, you are sitting in front of me doing math worksheets. You got up from watching television and came over to do some math, completely independent of everyone else, as usual.
Not only are you a great student but you have always had a rhythm that we would wonder about. How does such a young girl know how to move quite so well, we would say to each other? So we enrolled you in some dance classes, not ballet or tap, as you had your fill of that in your earlier years, but a real dance class with actual choreography. Your instructor would tell me that you had a talent for picking up choreography, so we are very interested to see where dance leads you in the future.
You continue to be your own mysterious little being, causing people to always want more Lily. You still kiss me every time I put my lips anywhere near your face and I so adore that about you. Last night I asked you to promise to always do that and if that would be a promise you could keep? And you responded that "yes, yes you could keep that promise."
You have a knack for details and always manage to know more dates and times than I do. You are extremely sure of yourself and continue on a daily basis to know precisely what you want.
Your favorite thing this year was probably shopping at Macy's. That is what you wanted for your birthday, a shopping spree with your best friend Annie. We also tried for a sleep over but that ended abruptly at 3:15am as she announced to me ever so sweetly, that she didn't think this was going to work out.
You have so many cute friends at school that seem to love you so much. You even have one male admirer who told his mommy the other day that the best part of his day was "loving Lily".
You have a sister who watches out for you and loves you in a way that is unparalleled to anything I have seen before. Most of the time Belle has to beg you for hugs and kisses but sometimes you give of them freely. You can be a little stingy with your affections towards Belle which makes her very sad, but I hope that changes as you mature. Don't get me wrong, you live for her and are never more than two steps behind her, you are just a bit stingy with the lovin'.
You are so excited to move to the suburbs and even more excited to have a pool club near our new house. I wish you all the luck in your new school and in first grade next year and hope you have a wonderful summer at camp.
I will continue to love you more than words could ever describe.
Love,
Mama
