Happy 6th Birthday Jaden!!
Yesterday we celebrated 6 incredible years of being parents to our precious Jaden Elaine. We cannot believe that she is already SIX years old and hope that the next six years go a little bit slower!
Jaden, you have such charm and a real zest for life. You are full of personality and we have loved every single minute of being your Mommy and Daddy. If we could re-live the last six years we would do it and the only thing we'd change would be to cherish it even more than we already do! But since we can't do it all over again, we'll be sure to take in and appreciate all of the milestones we get to experience ahead!
Let's see....what have you been up to over the past year?
--You finished out preschool at Montessori school, excelling in every possible area. This year you started kindergarten at a traditional school and continue to do very well. You've been bringing home perfect scores on tests and homework, though you don't even realize you've been tested. Your teacher plays "games" with you to test subject retention.
--You've just begun your fourth year of ballet and tap, and had your first recital last June. You were a star on the stage and we couldn't have been more proud of your beautiful performances!
--You are taking gymnastics again this year, your 4th year. You are getting ready to try some classes at the next level and I can't wait to see how you do. You can do cartwheels very well and also know how to do many skills on the bars and beam. You love gymnastics and always impress us at your shows!
--You are SO ACTIVE--it's like you have to be moving constantly. I wish I had your energy, and that's coming from a mom who has quite a high energy level herself! Daddy & I struggle to find enough for you to do in a day's time because you're ready to move from one activity to the next in a flash!
--Your favorite activity at home is playing dress up, and right now you're really into dressing up as a bride. We were able to find you an Ariel (Little Mermaid) wedding gown for your birthday and you were thrilled. We act out "wedding" with you quite often and I've played every part from ring bearer (where I carried a crown on a pillow pet since we didn't have rings) to officiant. Our long hallway provides the perfect aisle for you to walk down.
--You are obsessed with Ariel from The Little Mermaid. You collect all things Ariel and keep them separate from your other toys. You have books, multiple costumes, at least half a dozen dolls / barbies, among other Ariel-themed items. During our first family movie night we watched "Ariel's Beginning" which you enjoyed almost as much as you enjoy watching The Little Mermaid.
--You love all holidays, even (as you yourself pointed out) the ones like St. Patrick's day when you don't receive any treats or gifts (ha!). I think you love a reason to decorate and celebrate. Hopefully one day you'll do better than your Mama with decorating for the different holidays and seasons. Or perhaps you can at least help me to do better.
--Your favorite food is pasta with tomato sauce. I think you'd eat it everyday if you could. You like meatballs, but you prefer the pasta and sauce by itself. You also love cheese in most any variety!
--Your favorite places to eat out at are Chipotle and McDonalds. I don't think you care much about the food at McDonalds; it's all about the toys in the happy meals. You also enjoy the play areas at McDonalds which is a great way for you to get out some of your energy!
--You've recently started telling us you've got things "stuck in your head"--anything from a toy you want to there being monsters in the house. It's funny how you describe these things being "in your head" and though you obsess over them for a moment, you usually get over them very quickly!
--You LOVE to brush and floss your teeth, and look forward to going to the dentist. I hope that never changes!
--You enjoy swimming very much and enjoy spending weekends at Papa's lake house. You could swim in the pool all day long and when you're not swimming you prefer being on Papa's boat to anything else. It amazes me how well you sit on the boat without any activities to do since you're usually my little busy body. You just love to watch the water and see different sights on the lake.
--You are EXTREMELY social and everyone around you LOVES your personality. I've been contacted by many of your classmates moms this year already (both boys and girls' moms) to have you over for playdates and inviting you to birthday parties. In the most recent birthday invitation a little boy's mom wrote that he talks of you all the time, and I heard this same thing when we called to invite another classmate over for a playdate. I can't pinpoint just one thing that makes everyone want to be around you; it's just everything about you. I hope you always stay this friendly, warm, kind-hearted and social. You can never go wrong by being nice to everyone!
--You are the very best oldest sister we could imagine. You provide a great example to your little sisters of manners, how to do things, and how to act. You love Bristol and Sienna, and they look up to you and adore you. You know exactly how to make them laugh and you play with them and look after them whether I need you to or not. You are also an excellent helper when either of your sisters needs something.
--You and Sienna have an extra special bond. You are not only sisters but also the best of friends. You chose to share a room with one another when we moved into our new home and you have enjoyed "sleepovers" every night since. You chit-chat at night after the lights go out and I hope this continues for many years to come. You have such a special bond and I know you'll always remain close. This makes me one super happy Mama :)
--After 6 years of learning about what it means to clean up your toys and belongings, you have really stepped it up recently and done well at keeping your room and playroom organized and in tip-top shape! When I ask you to clean up a space, you do so thoroughly and quickly. You grumble a little about having to clean up, but you really don't give me too much trouble. I think you enjoy having things neat and orderly.
--Since moving to our new home, you've developed your own style of "decorating" and you enjoy doing so in your room. You pile a bunch of random items on your dresser and tell me you've "decorated"--we let it stay that way for a short time (few days or so) and then have you clean it up. Your style is a little cluttered right now, but I know you'll decorate your own home very well one day!
--You want to wear dresses ALL.THE.TIME. Fortunately, you have to wear pants on gym day so that helps you to wear all of your clothes and not just the fancy ones. Your love of dresses has worn off on little sis Sienna and you both think that you're only princesses when you're in a dress. Um Disney, could your next princess please wear pants?? haha!
--You're very interested in maps, so we hung a US map and a world map in the playroom a few weeks ago. We're working on teaching you the location of each of the 50 states. You can name all of the states thanks to memorizing "50 Nifty United States" which we listen to and watch on youtube!
--You thoroughly enjoy all arts and crafts (Mama's girl!). You color often and draw and paint. I hope to foster your love for crafts even more over the years so that one day we can go away together for scrapbooking weekends and so that one day when you have your own children I can work with you on making them bows and tutus and so forth :)
--You still sleep with your giraffe and "flower blanket"--made for you by Uncle Ryan's girlfriend Jenna. You got to take a teddy bear to school earlier this year and ever since, you've been sleeping with teddy too. I don't mind you sleeping with these beloved items, but we're working hard on not letting you carry them around the house anymore now that you're growing up.
--You love being read to, and you're learning to read yourself! We often read chapter books (Boxcar children, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Junie B Jones) and you have started reading Big Pig on a Dig to us. You know what sounds every letter makes and this helps you to sound out words completely on your own!
--You just started taking showers on your own and do well with that. You also brush your own hair and teeth without assistance. It's different to have you doing more things independently, but we like it and encourage it! We're always here to help though, anytime you need it.
--You are growing out your hair, though I just had Aunt Kim cut an inch or so off to keep it healthy. I'm not sure how much longer your hair will get; it's pretty long!
--Your favorite TV shows include Bubble Guppies, Max & Ruby, Curious George, The Cat in the Hat and Phineas and Ferb. You still watch mostly cartoons and we're okay with that :) You love to watch movies and have watched a few non-animated ones--Matilda was one and you liked it.
--You are in a booster seat in the car and you buckle yourself (woohoo!). You also can open the car doors yourself so you help to open Sienna's before you get yourself in. It's so wonderful to have your help with this, especially when we're trying to get somewhere in a hurry (who am I kidding, we're ALWAYS in a hurry! ha!)
--You HATE to be late. You're just like your Daddy in that regard. You always ask if we're going to be late and I've made it my goal to not stress you out by getting you to your practices and things on time. It's hard to get everyone out of the house to be somewhere on time, but we're doing well with this goal! I need you to keep me accountable :)
--You still like to wear bows in your hair (and many times ask for them!), though now you're talking more about wearing flowers. I'm learning to make many types of flowers for you to wear as an alternative to bows and I even like them for myself and your sisters! You're so trendy and always up on the latest styles and accessories (as much as a 6-year-old can be!).
--You ride the bus this year for school, a new routine for you. You don't seem to mind it although you've asked me a few times over the past week or two if I could pick you up from school. It doesn't work out since Baby B is napping at school pick-up time, but if it ever does work out I will pick you up for sure my girl!
--You aren't riding a 2-wheeler yet, though you're starting to show interest. You were excited with Grammy Pammy and her friend recently worked with you on your 2-wheeler for a little bit. You rode in the July 4th bike parade for the first time this year; maybe by next year's you'll be riding on two wheels in it!
--You're a little snuggle bunny and you thrive on hugs and kisses. For your birthday you asked for many things, though most of all you asked for lots of hugs. And you got them girl!
--You got glasses in January and I was not surprised when my little stylish daughter picked (without knowing anything about brands) the Juicy Couture pair. They are brown and purple with a bit of sparkle--just right for you! You wear your glasses ALL the time without us having to ask and take great care of them. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you for how well you've done with the glasses!
--You are extremely photogenic, glasses and all. You strike a pose like it's nothing and love to have your picture taken (most of the time). I'm working on printing photos to have around so that you can see all of the pretty ones I take of you!
--You love having your hair braided. I do it anytime we have enough time :)
--I took you school shopping for the first time this year and you enjoyed choosing your own outfits for school. Your favorite outfit is a ruffly dress from Gap kids and you wore it on your first day of school. I hope that our shopping day was the first of many mommy-daughter shopping sprees!
--You are very fond of your grandparents and love to spend time with them. You cherish our visits to Grammy Pammy's house in Columbus and love when she surprises you with a visit to our home. You love to visit Grandma and Grandpa at their house and stay with them when Mommy and Daddy go away. And your favorite weekend destination is Papa's lakehouse as mentioned above. You have a great time with Papa on those weekends!
--While you're generally a good kid, you do have your "moments" and can get sassy / mouthy and throw a good fit now and again. I know it's part of life and you're quick to "get over it" thank goodness. You have become great at apologizing and accepting apologies recently as we adopted a practice of not only saying "I'm sorry," but also of saying "I forgive you." I'm so happy for how far you've come, because you used to not want to apologize EVER.
--You love to go to church and often ask to go. It makes me so happy that you love to learn about Jesus!
--You love to add your own necklaces to your outfits and even though I "hid" a bunch of random jewelry in a basket in the playroom, you found it and raid the stash almost daily! I love to see which necklaces you add to your outfits. Once again, you are very fashionable!
--You love to have Mommy give you manis and pedis. Your favorite nail polishes are pink and purple, so we the two colors on every other nail. You have the fastest growing nails of anyone I've ever known--must be all the good foods you eat giving you lots of vitamins!
--You can count well beyond 100, probably to a thousand if we let you try.
--You are a thinker. I can tell you take everything around you "in" and compartmentalize in your brain. You are incredibly intelligent and observant!
--You are just like Mommy in that you can rarely sit still. Even while watching TV these days you're surrounded by some toys or books. I try to encourage you to relax since I suffer from the inability to do so and I therefore end up exhausted!
--You LOVE the book The Kissing Hand and kiss my hand or ask for your hand to be kissed often. It is so sweet to hear you ask for me to kiss your hand or to have you ask if you can kiss mine. I love that the book meant so much to you when we read it just before kindergarten started.
--Your love languages are, without a doubt, quality time and physical touch. We try to keep your love "tank" filled because when you're full, you are on your very best behavior!
--You can recite the Pledge of Allegiance and your school pledge perfectly
--Just this week you counted backwards for me from 30 to zero. You tell us your favorite number is INFINITY. Smart girl to even know what infinity is!
...To be continued this week as I think of more things :)
We love and adore you beyond what words can express little Jaden! You are the perfect first daughter for our family and we know that you will continue to make us proud and that you'll do great things in your life. Continue to have your amazing outlook on the world and to make friends with everyone you meet. You are such a special little girl and we could not be more blessed than we were when God chose us to be your Mommy and Daddy!!
Jaden, you have such charm and a real zest for life. You are full of personality and we have loved every single minute of being your Mommy and Daddy. If we could re-live the last six years we would do it and the only thing we'd change would be to cherish it even more than we already do! But since we can't do it all over again, we'll be sure to take in and appreciate all of the milestones we get to experience ahead!
Let's see....what have you been up to over the past year?
--You finished out preschool at Montessori school, excelling in every possible area. This year you started kindergarten at a traditional school and continue to do very well. You've been bringing home perfect scores on tests and homework, though you don't even realize you've been tested. Your teacher plays "games" with you to test subject retention.
--You've just begun your fourth year of ballet and tap, and had your first recital last June. You were a star on the stage and we couldn't have been more proud of your beautiful performances!
--You are taking gymnastics again this year, your 4th year. You are getting ready to try some classes at the next level and I can't wait to see how you do. You can do cartwheels very well and also know how to do many skills on the bars and beam. You love gymnastics and always impress us at your shows!
--You are SO ACTIVE--it's like you have to be moving constantly. I wish I had your energy, and that's coming from a mom who has quite a high energy level herself! Daddy & I struggle to find enough for you to do in a day's time because you're ready to move from one activity to the next in a flash!
--Your favorite activity at home is playing dress up, and right now you're really into dressing up as a bride. We were able to find you an Ariel (Little Mermaid) wedding gown for your birthday and you were thrilled. We act out "wedding" with you quite often and I've played every part from ring bearer (where I carried a crown on a pillow pet since we didn't have rings) to officiant. Our long hallway provides the perfect aisle for you to walk down.
--You are obsessed with Ariel from The Little Mermaid. You collect all things Ariel and keep them separate from your other toys. You have books, multiple costumes, at least half a dozen dolls / barbies, among other Ariel-themed items. During our first family movie night we watched "Ariel's Beginning" which you enjoyed almost as much as you enjoy watching The Little Mermaid.
--You love all holidays, even (as you yourself pointed out) the ones like St. Patrick's day when you don't receive any treats or gifts (ha!). I think you love a reason to decorate and celebrate. Hopefully one day you'll do better than your Mama with decorating for the different holidays and seasons. Or perhaps you can at least help me to do better.
--Your favorite food is pasta with tomato sauce. I think you'd eat it everyday if you could. You like meatballs, but you prefer the pasta and sauce by itself. You also love cheese in most any variety!
--Your favorite places to eat out at are Chipotle and McDonalds. I don't think you care much about the food at McDonalds; it's all about the toys in the happy meals. You also enjoy the play areas at McDonalds which is a great way for you to get out some of your energy!
--You've recently started telling us you've got things "stuck in your head"--anything from a toy you want to there being monsters in the house. It's funny how you describe these things being "in your head" and though you obsess over them for a moment, you usually get over them very quickly!
--You LOVE to brush and floss your teeth, and look forward to going to the dentist. I hope that never changes!
--You enjoy swimming very much and enjoy spending weekends at Papa's lake house. You could swim in the pool all day long and when you're not swimming you prefer being on Papa's boat to anything else. It amazes me how well you sit on the boat without any activities to do since you're usually my little busy body. You just love to watch the water and see different sights on the lake.
--You are EXTREMELY social and everyone around you LOVES your personality. I've been contacted by many of your classmates moms this year already (both boys and girls' moms) to have you over for playdates and inviting you to birthday parties. In the most recent birthday invitation a little boy's mom wrote that he talks of you all the time, and I heard this same thing when we called to invite another classmate over for a playdate. I can't pinpoint just one thing that makes everyone want to be around you; it's just everything about you. I hope you always stay this friendly, warm, kind-hearted and social. You can never go wrong by being nice to everyone!
--You are the very best oldest sister we could imagine. You provide a great example to your little sisters of manners, how to do things, and how to act. You love Bristol and Sienna, and they look up to you and adore you. You know exactly how to make them laugh and you play with them and look after them whether I need you to or not. You are also an excellent helper when either of your sisters needs something.
--You and Sienna have an extra special bond. You are not only sisters but also the best of friends. You chose to share a room with one another when we moved into our new home and you have enjoyed "sleepovers" every night since. You chit-chat at night after the lights go out and I hope this continues for many years to come. You have such a special bond and I know you'll always remain close. This makes me one super happy Mama :)
--After 6 years of learning about what it means to clean up your toys and belongings, you have really stepped it up recently and done well at keeping your room and playroom organized and in tip-top shape! When I ask you to clean up a space, you do so thoroughly and quickly. You grumble a little about having to clean up, but you really don't give me too much trouble. I think you enjoy having things neat and orderly.
--Since moving to our new home, you've developed your own style of "decorating" and you enjoy doing so in your room. You pile a bunch of random items on your dresser and tell me you've "decorated"--we let it stay that way for a short time (few days or so) and then have you clean it up. Your style is a little cluttered right now, but I know you'll decorate your own home very well one day!
--You want to wear dresses ALL.THE.TIME. Fortunately, you have to wear pants on gym day so that helps you to wear all of your clothes and not just the fancy ones. Your love of dresses has worn off on little sis Sienna and you both think that you're only princesses when you're in a dress. Um Disney, could your next princess please wear pants?? haha!
--You're very interested in maps, so we hung a US map and a world map in the playroom a few weeks ago. We're working on teaching you the location of each of the 50 states. You can name all of the states thanks to memorizing "50 Nifty United States" which we listen to and watch on youtube!
--You thoroughly enjoy all arts and crafts (Mama's girl!). You color often and draw and paint. I hope to foster your love for crafts even more over the years so that one day we can go away together for scrapbooking weekends and so that one day when you have your own children I can work with you on making them bows and tutus and so forth :)
--You still sleep with your giraffe and "flower blanket"--made for you by Uncle Ryan's girlfriend Jenna. You got to take a teddy bear to school earlier this year and ever since, you've been sleeping with teddy too. I don't mind you sleeping with these beloved items, but we're working hard on not letting you carry them around the house anymore now that you're growing up.
--You love being read to, and you're learning to read yourself! We often read chapter books (Boxcar children, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Junie B Jones) and you have started reading Big Pig on a Dig to us. You know what sounds every letter makes and this helps you to sound out words completely on your own!
--You just started taking showers on your own and do well with that. You also brush your own hair and teeth without assistance. It's different to have you doing more things independently, but we like it and encourage it! We're always here to help though, anytime you need it.
--You are growing out your hair, though I just had Aunt Kim cut an inch or so off to keep it healthy. I'm not sure how much longer your hair will get; it's pretty long!
--Your favorite TV shows include Bubble Guppies, Max & Ruby, Curious George, The Cat in the Hat and Phineas and Ferb. You still watch mostly cartoons and we're okay with that :) You love to watch movies and have watched a few non-animated ones--Matilda was one and you liked it.
--You are in a booster seat in the car and you buckle yourself (woohoo!). You also can open the car doors yourself so you help to open Sienna's before you get yourself in. It's so wonderful to have your help with this, especially when we're trying to get somewhere in a hurry (who am I kidding, we're ALWAYS in a hurry! ha!)
--You HATE to be late. You're just like your Daddy in that regard. You always ask if we're going to be late and I've made it my goal to not stress you out by getting you to your practices and things on time. It's hard to get everyone out of the house to be somewhere on time, but we're doing well with this goal! I need you to keep me accountable :)
--You still like to wear bows in your hair (and many times ask for them!), though now you're talking more about wearing flowers. I'm learning to make many types of flowers for you to wear as an alternative to bows and I even like them for myself and your sisters! You're so trendy and always up on the latest styles and accessories (as much as a 6-year-old can be!).
--You ride the bus this year for school, a new routine for you. You don't seem to mind it although you've asked me a few times over the past week or two if I could pick you up from school. It doesn't work out since Baby B is napping at school pick-up time, but if it ever does work out I will pick you up for sure my girl!
--You aren't riding a 2-wheeler yet, though you're starting to show interest. You were excited with Grammy Pammy and her friend recently worked with you on your 2-wheeler for a little bit. You rode in the July 4th bike parade for the first time this year; maybe by next year's you'll be riding on two wheels in it!
--You're a little snuggle bunny and you thrive on hugs and kisses. For your birthday you asked for many things, though most of all you asked for lots of hugs. And you got them girl!
--You got glasses in January and I was not surprised when my little stylish daughter picked (without knowing anything about brands) the Juicy Couture pair. They are brown and purple with a bit of sparkle--just right for you! You wear your glasses ALL the time without us having to ask and take great care of them. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you for how well you've done with the glasses!
--You are extremely photogenic, glasses and all. You strike a pose like it's nothing and love to have your picture taken (most of the time). I'm working on printing photos to have around so that you can see all of the pretty ones I take of you!
--You love having your hair braided. I do it anytime we have enough time :)
--I took you school shopping for the first time this year and you enjoyed choosing your own outfits for school. Your favorite outfit is a ruffly dress from Gap kids and you wore it on your first day of school. I hope that our shopping day was the first of many mommy-daughter shopping sprees!
--You are very fond of your grandparents and love to spend time with them. You cherish our visits to Grammy Pammy's house in Columbus and love when she surprises you with a visit to our home. You love to visit Grandma and Grandpa at their house and stay with them when Mommy and Daddy go away. And your favorite weekend destination is Papa's lakehouse as mentioned above. You have a great time with Papa on those weekends!
--While you're generally a good kid, you do have your "moments" and can get sassy / mouthy and throw a good fit now and again. I know it's part of life and you're quick to "get over it" thank goodness. You have become great at apologizing and accepting apologies recently as we adopted a practice of not only saying "I'm sorry," but also of saying "I forgive you." I'm so happy for how far you've come, because you used to not want to apologize EVER.
--You love to go to church and often ask to go. It makes me so happy that you love to learn about Jesus!
--You love to add your own necklaces to your outfits and even though I "hid" a bunch of random jewelry in a basket in the playroom, you found it and raid the stash almost daily! I love to see which necklaces you add to your outfits. Once again, you are very fashionable!
--You love to have Mommy give you manis and pedis. Your favorite nail polishes are pink and purple, so we the two colors on every other nail. You have the fastest growing nails of anyone I've ever known--must be all the good foods you eat giving you lots of vitamins!
--You can count well beyond 100, probably to a thousand if we let you try.
--You are a thinker. I can tell you take everything around you "in" and compartmentalize in your brain. You are incredibly intelligent and observant!
--You are just like Mommy in that you can rarely sit still. Even while watching TV these days you're surrounded by some toys or books. I try to encourage you to relax since I suffer from the inability to do so and I therefore end up exhausted!
--You LOVE the book The Kissing Hand and kiss my hand or ask for your hand to be kissed often. It is so sweet to hear you ask for me to kiss your hand or to have you ask if you can kiss mine. I love that the book meant so much to you when we read it just before kindergarten started.
--Your love languages are, without a doubt, quality time and physical touch. We try to keep your love "tank" filled because when you're full, you are on your very best behavior!
--You can recite the Pledge of Allegiance and your school pledge perfectly
--Just this week you counted backwards for me from 30 to zero. You tell us your favorite number is INFINITY. Smart girl to even know what infinity is!
...To be continued this week as I think of more things :)
We love and adore you beyond what words can express little Jaden! You are the perfect first daughter for our family and we know that you will continue to make us proud and that you'll do great things in your life. Continue to have your amazing outlook on the world and to make friends with everyone you meet. You are such a special little girl and we could not be more blessed than we were when God chose us to be your Mommy and Daddy!!
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