Early May.

Turns out - while I was trying not to think about what reese would possibly look like when she was older, while she was sitting a hospital bed years ago, she would end up looking just like herself only slightly (slightly) bigger. lol.

Only now, almost 4 years after we had to pull so many of her teeth because of chemo, reese is getting a front tooth in.

I almost cannot handle it. When she talks, that little white nub peeks out and I get all weak in the knees thinking of how long it has been since I have seen a tooth in that vampire smile.

Age 7 is old. Like, it isn't a baby or a toddler. It isn't a preschooler or someone entering school and beginning a journey.. it's a kid. A kid who is going to be in 2nd grade. A kid who is trying to manage learning and social skills, learning math and choosing things to do during recess. A kid who is just happy to get a front tooth.

Reese's favorite things on earth are going to dinner (pizza or mexican) and hanging with her family. We were going to do a party, but she wanted OTB and bowling with the fam and so thats what we shall do.

She sleeps with me any time EJ is out of town. She sneaks you by saying "can we have cuddle time?" and of course you say yes, but she means IN YOUR BED TONIGHT WITH YOU RIGHT ON TOP OF YOU?! and still... the answer is yes ;)

She writes/draws/colors all the time. She wants very badly to be better at sounding out words to write them and so thats what we work on at home. She likes to write people notes or make books for Foxy.

Foxy is still her BFF. That being said, watching her with her girlfriends at school is such a treat. They are all so silly and fun and Reese is just so happy to have little jokes with everyone.

Reese also has a "family" with Foxy. She will say "wanna be in my family? because in Foxy's family, you never have to do dishes or laundry and you can drink wine and take a nap" (sounds amazing, right? lol). She tells us all the fun things her family does (that family also has troublesome "little boys" that don't even deserve names hahaha). Her imagination is just so fantastic. I could listen to the stories she tells for hours.

...and sometimes I do when she wakes up and wants to chat when I am heading to bed haha.

Her favorite colors are orange and pink. She wants to play soccer again in the fall if possible. She is going to join brownies with her friends. She likes wearing joggers with pockets best. All 3 of her laylees/blankies are different and she can tell which is which by feeling them between her fingers.

When she gets riled up about something she "can't calm down!!" because she's such an emotional soul. Her happiness all of life is paralleled to how she can get her feelings hurt, too. I will gladly take the cuddle after, though.

She doesn't wear her boot much anymore. She seems to have learned to pick her foot up more so when she is running - not that the rubber doesn't get caught and trip her sometimes, but we will see. She is having so much fun wearing different types of shoes and thats a small milestone, too.

I am desperately counting down to the end of the school year for my elementary kiddos. It.Is.Time.

I don't want to make anyone's lunch anymore (even though at this point, it is just Reese's, usually - and then M and C's 2 days a week). I don't want to wake up at 6am anymore. I don't want to sit in a parking lot waiting for kids anymore. I want it to be summer where we wake up, leisurely eat, go to the gym and then swim. I want to come home and eat lunch and take naps and then go to dance. Then I want to stay up late and do it all over again.

The rest of the year, in the next 2-3 weeks, we have field day, school talent show, more dance company try outs, picture day for recital, then all of the recital things - including recital memorial day weekend.

To see Aidan as Annie, and then the rest of the brood throughout the show in like 10 other dances (lol), is going to be damn magic. They have all worked so hard and to see it come to life is just going to be such a proud moment as a mom.

STAAR testing is done, GT classes are done next week, all the things are done except for actual school, though. Which is making me want to crawl into a hole lol

I am going to go think about how this baby here, turned into that big girl. Right before my eyes.

Dear Reese,

I love you. I love you every second of the day. You teach me patience and kindness and how to love in any sort of situation. Thank you for being you, for teaching everyone around you that life is something to treasure and to make every day a happy one. Thank you for saying "today is beautiful out!" or reminding me that the sun feels nice. I will never get sick of seeing your face when I pick you up from school - and you jog over to throw a paper in my face and see my pride in your most even basic work. I will never not want to have cuddle time in my bed. I will never be sick of waking up to your sweet voice asking if I "had a good sleep?" or if you can go wake Foxy up. I would keep you home from school everyday just to hang out, if I could (honestly, I would do that with all your sisters, but alas). Thank you for all the years of that gummy vampire smile - and thank you for the years to come with those goofy front teeth. I love you.

Love, Mommy.