Happy Fifth Birthday to Our Olivia Cate

My Dear Girl,

Another year has come and gone and we have enjoyed every second watching you grow.  This was a big year for you – you left the comfort of a school you have been attending since you were just 12 weeks old, and you embraced your new school with open arms. 

You are still just the jolliest little girl we know, but this past year you have also started showing a hint of a temper when you get frustrated or mad.  Overall, you are just so dang happy, though.  You don’t worry about much, you don’t seem to care what other people think, and you pretty much walk around all the time just being jolly and smiling and shining your little light… 

…which brings me to your smile.  Yep, it still lights up every room!  You smile with your whole face – sometimes with your whole body – and we all can’t help but smile when we see yours.  You don’t have a serious bone in your body.  You are constantly joking around, laughing, and you are already even slightly sarcastic… but in a good way. 

You’re still as clumsy as ever, walking into walls, tripping over your own feet, knocking over drinks, and falling out of chairs.  But you’re always happy!  So yep, we are still calling you Drunk College Girl (or DCG for short) behind your back.  But we say it with only love and affection.  ;o)

You have been sassy pretty much from day one, but HOLY MOLY, has the sass really ramped up this year.  You basically think you’re 16 years old all. the. time.  You speak to Daddy and me like you’re a teenager sometimes, you’ve already started rolling your eyes, and you’ve recently decided to start calling us by our first names.  Yep, lately you have been calling Daddy “Brian” and me “Lindsay.”  And when we give you the side eye for it, you just give us your mischievous little grin that we can’t resist and then you egg us on even more by using our first names in yet another sentence. 

You are seriously a piece of work.

You still make noise constantly.  The only time you stop talking is to eat or sleep and even when you’re eating you’re humming.  Surprisingly you don’t really get in trouble much at school for it, though.  I have no idea how that’s possible.

Your love for princesses still runs deep, but they have been a bit overshadowed this past year by Hatchimals and unicorns… hence the unicorn birthday shirt.  You received the Hatchimals board game for Christmas and you literally ask us to play it every day.  You never tire of it.  And you carry the tiny Hatchimals everywhere with you.  I’m constantly finding them stuck in my purse, in your shoes, in the couch, and all kinds of other weird places.

Your growth appears to have plateaued a bit this year.  You have grown, but you don’t seem to be growing quite as fast.  You are still wearing 5T shirts, although you’re right on the verge of moving up to the next size, and you’re now wearing 5T leggings and dresses and skirts.  But PLEASE, DEAR GOD, DON’T MAKE YOU WEAR ACTUAL PANTS!  You HATE jeans or any pants with seams or pockets or buttons or zippers.  You refuse to wear them.  The only thing you ever wear is jumpers at school, and dresses and tunics at home with leggings.  And you hate socks with the fire of a thousand suns and it is a daily struggle to get you to wear them to school.  You have no choice since it’s part of the uniform policy, but do you care about a uniform policy?  Heck no. 

You are still the pickiest little eater I know and you would literally eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at every single meal if we would let you.  And sometimes we do.  Oh wait, we can’t forget chips and cheese dip at Mexican restaurants, though!!  You would probably choose that over PB&J. 

You have stopped eating all fruit with the exception of raspberries and literally the only thing you drink is water.  You hate juice, you hate milk, and I don’t think you’ve ever even tried a soft drink.  But you know what?  I’m totally okay with that.

We are currently in the process of turning your room into a big girl room and while I love the excuse to redecorate a space, it’s breaking my heart a little because you’re getting so dang big.  You’re still creeping into our bed every single night and I still love it.  I’m so afraid that once we set up your full-size bed your midnight snuggles will cease.  I think that’s why I’ve been dragging my feet a little with the redecorating process.

You started ballet and tap at the beginning of this school year and I think we have finally found the extracurricular activity that you’re going to stick with!  You dropped out of “nastics” because it was too scary and you didn’t want to play a second season of soccer because you just didn’t like it, but girlfriend, you love some ballet and tap.  You’ve been asking us every single week when you get to perform on the stage.  Only three months to go!

You have the biggest heart and you are still a sucker for Maui and Toby and any other pets and animals that you’re introduced to.

YOU ARE READING NOW!!  You started reading short words early this school year and you have quickly progressed and are now reading full sentences with occasional help from Daddy and me.   

You love popular music and you know all the words to every Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Bruno Mars song.  Your current obsession is with the song “Without Me” by Halsey and you and Jacob call it “The Feet Song” just because she says the word “feet” in it and y’all think that’s funny.  Lol. 

You gallop wherever you go, you are always up for an adventure, and you’d have a dance party every single night if we’d let you.  You are just the brightest little light.  We love you so incredibly much, Olivia Cate, and we are so glad that you are ours! 

Happiest of birthdays, my dear girl!

Love,

Mommy

Birthday Letter - Age 2

Birthday Letter - Age 3
Birthday Letter - Age 4

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