Happy Birthday, Esmee! 10

Esmee!  Wow, what a finish to being nine this year is turning out to be, huh?  We never could have imagined we would be celebrating your 10th birthday at home with nowhere to go, but really, none of that matters….May 6th is a day to celebrate and relish YOU and we can do that anywhere…letting you know how special you are to us and this world is the easiest thing to do and gives me so much joy!  Double digits is what you’ve waited for and here we are….but first, I want to tell you the ways that your 9th year was so special….

You are the most helpful person we know!  Of all the adults and all the kids you are the one that always says YES when someone needs a hand doing something.  Even grunt work!  Even jobs that most people don’t want to do. You help dig in the garden, you take the trash out, you bring the groceries in from the car, you get up on the roof and help hang Christmas lights….i don’t think you’ve ever said ‘no’ to a request for help.   It’s truly remarkable, Esmee….you get joy out of being one of the helpers!   Whether big or small you will always be someone that others turn to when they need something….you care and you are always there.  Dad and I think that is one of the greatest measures of character.  I know as you get older and grow into a professional you will do good work in a field that takes care of others…it is in your blood, Esmee.  

You continue to be an athlete, and especially with sports that aren’t traditional.  You did re-join your soccer team again this year and came back to the SeaStars a new and improved player that worked so hard out on the field to catch up with your team mates after taking a year off.  You played continuous outdoor and indoor soccer, several weekends double headers.  You played defense and goalie and you were tough!  You loved being back with your girls and being part of the team.  But whats really fun to see you do is ride the waves out in the ocean for hours, scale a fence in mere seconds, jump wide-gapped logs with ease and balance,  climb heights that give most people fright, hang from trees and pull yourself up a rope swing to get to the seat.       You have a strength and determination to do hard things….things that require focus and grit.  

You started out being 9 not really into reading.  It was a bit of a challenge to get you to sit down and read quietly for any given time…you just didn’t enjoy it.   When signups for The Global Reading Challenge came around at your school, you weren’t sure if you wanted to do it.  But with a little convincing, you signed up…even though none of your friends were doing it and you had to give up your Friday recesses for several months to attend practices.   You put your mind to it and you read 7 of the 10 books in a span of 2.5 months….you took notes and studied the characters and recalled to all of us what you read about when you finished a book.  You comprehended each story and actually started to LOVE to read!  I was blown away by your commitment to yourself and your team.  When the in-school challenge came around, your team won….out of 12 teams, you guys got 1st place!  It was such a proud moment for Dad and I….we were beaming knowing that you were such an essential part of that team win.  Your face was priceless when they announced the winner because I know that you felt that pride in accomplishing something that in the beginning you didn’t think was attainable.  Turns out your team really were winners, because you went on to win the Virtual Finals 6 weeks later with a perfect score….The Reading Rockets are the 2020 Global Reading Challenge winners! Bravo, little lady, Bravo!  

At one of our recent conversations at dinner, we asked you what your favorite thing was about being 9….and you responded “getting Lucky!”  You guys are two peas in a pod and have been since day 1!  You make sure he is well taken care of!  You tuck him into your bed with you every night...it is the cutest thing.  He loves you just as much!  Your bond is unbreakable :)

You are a master builder...be it furniture, legos, fixing something around the house that is broken....you are brilliant at figuring things out.  You LOVE Legos and are soooooo good at them!  I see architecture in your future!

As for our current new normal with Coronavirus…you are taking it in stride.  You miss your friends and school dearly but have had such a positive outlook about all of the changes.  You’ve taken to poem writing and written your thoughts beautifully.  You have become closer with Ewan and Millie and you guys are loving ‘camping out’ in the basement most nights together.  You’ve formed a sibling friendship that can’t be broken….you guys are tighter than ever.   Millie and Ewan adore you as much as Dad and I do, Esmee.  

Your best friends are Brooklyn, Avery and Frances. Your favorite foods are beans and rice, white chocolate, avocado sushi and meat…you are a carnivore!  You love converse tennis shoes, mixing patterns and wearing coats and jackets.  You love books and tv shows about simple times and lives…Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, When Calls the Heart.  You love laughing and a good cry.  You love watching cake making videos and craft videos.  You have a heart of gold…pure gold.  

You make us so proud, Esmee.  Each day we thank our lucky stars that you are ours and we can’t wait to see all that life has in store for you.   Your character speaks volumes for the path you are on and what your future holds.  You will do great things, Ezzy girl, and we’ll be your biggest fans cheering you on all along the way !

Happy Birthday!!!!  We LOVE YOU!!!!! 

xoxo

Mom