Dear Ana,
Today you turn thirty-one months old. And what a busy month it has been. Now, more than ever, we are just go, go, GO-ing all the time. I strive to keep up with your permanently high energy level. While I rely a little on my morning coffee, your enthusiasm energizes my soul in a way that caffeine can’t even touch. Seeing your eyes light up and a smile spread across your face are all it takes for me to take your hand in mine and set out to conquer the world together.


You love to be on the move. And whenever our weather is comfortable enough (not pouring down rain or scorching hot), we are outside soaking up the Vitamin D. We go for bike rides (you behind Daddy in the Burley), walk to the park, or simply let you cruise around the cul-de-sac on your scooter.


But of course, all this takes place between all your classes. Ballet class has started back up again and you could not be happier. What little girl doesn’t love dancing around, wearing a crown–excuse me, a tiara–and waving a magic wand? You spend a lot of the class twirling around the room and checking yourself out in the mirror, but you still manage to learn some techniques along the way as well. Skill level aside, I’m just happy to have found an activity you continue to look forward to week after week. After all, this is our third session of ballet class and you still love it.



You manage to find ways to be a princess outside of the ballet studio as well. In fact you have taken to climbing rocks (or anything you can pretend is a rock, for example, your overturned Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere chair) and re-enacting the scene from Little Mermaid where Ariel sings “Part of Your World” on the rock. Belting out the “Ah ah ahhh, AH AH AHHH!” just like Ariel does when the Sea Witch takes her voice. Always the little drama queen, you take your performances seriously.



In an attempt to keep your princess time in check, I also try to balance our overly girly activities with some more dirty, farm-friendly ones. We have gone berry picking several times in the last few weeks (strawberries and raspberries) and while you don’t mind getting dirty and even occasionally help me pick berries (rather than just eating them) you simply love the farm life that tends to accompany our local produce. While driving to Smith Berry Barn last week we drove past cows, horses and even stopped to roll down our windows at a deer wandering through an apple orchard. Then once we actually arrived at the farm they had chickens and goats that you very enthusiastically got to feed.


You also have several friends of the opposite sex to keep your interests rounded. Case in point, your friends Ayden and Everett recently had a joint 4th birthday party with a pirate theme. Everyone ran around flexing their (temporary) tattoos, shouting “Arrr!” and raising threatening hooked hands. You had an amazing time and even allowed all the pirate garb to join your princess costumes in the dress-up box.



But I just can’t seem to keep the girly stuff from you for too long. In celebration of the 4th of July, we painted your toe nails OPI’s “I’m not really a waitress” red. Now I’ve been painting your finger and toe nails for awhile now (since you were the flower girl in Aunt Darcie’s wedding to be specific) but I have only used sparkly clear nail polish. Mostly because I cannot stand when nail polish chips and there is NO WAY to keep a 2 year old from chipping her nails. (The clear basically fades away.) But you have recently become obsessed with my red toe nail polish and tell me practically every day, “when I get bigger I can have sparkly red toe nails.” So one morning last week we sat down (I took many calming breaths) and painted your toes. You were so excited you showed everyone your toes for the next several days.




We went to Seaside for the 4th of July this year. Partly because it was on a Saturday and was feasible but also partly because it was going to be in the 90’s here in Portland and your parents do NOT like the heat. So we escaped to the beach and enjoyed the balmy 70 degree weather. We kicked off the celebration with the Seaside Parade. You knew what to expect at this parade, having been to the Rose Festival’s Grand Floral Parade recently, so you enjoyed the fire trucks and marching bands, but you were tickled pink by the fact that this parade threw candy to the watching crowds.


Later in the afternoon on the 4th of July we went down to the beach and staked out a spot for us to watch the fireworks. You had the best time playing on the beach. You have recently gotten over your aversion to sand (slightly to my dismay) and decided that it is The. Best. Thing. Ever. There isn’t anything I can do to keep you out of your friends sandboxes, so being entirely surrounded by sand was like a little taste of heaven for you.


And then we took you down to the ocean. Oh man, the smiles I saw on your face made me forget about how the sand was now going to be glued to every little crevice on your body. Watching you skip down to the water line, your curls bouncing behind you, and cautiously step into the crashing waves, then run will pure glee from the water that was lapping at your ankles, made my entire week. I loved the way you would squeal with delight every time the waves chased you down the beach.



Once you were finally soaked from the ocean we went back to our spot and built a nice bonfire to dry you and your clothes. Then we decided to make some s’mores. You savored your little beach treat; nibbling gently on the graham cracker and licking at the ooey gooey toasted marshmallow. You got about half way through the decadent dessert before the sugar started to kick in. I’m convinced that s’more alone kept you awake to see the very last firework that night.


I was so amazed by your utter lack of fear with regards to the fireworks. The first (illegal) ones that went off sent you running back to our blanket with your hands over your head like it was World War III, but upon seeing that no one else was frightened, you quickly adjusted to the loud bangs and pops. Before I knew it, you were ready to hold your own sparkler and even pretended to write “A-N-A” in the air.

I am so blessed to have you as my daughter. To get to spend my entire day with you, playing and having fun, making memories that will last forever is more wonderful than I could have even thought possible. I know that at your age, these aren’t memories you will retain (even with the steel trap of a memory you have) but I hope that these letters together with the pictures I have taken will help you understand why these are the best days of my life.


All my love,
Mama