First Grade

Dear Julia,

As you start first grade your Daddy and I wanted to take a moment to talk with you and let you know how special you are to us.  We are so blessed to have you as part of our family!  I often refer to you as my sweet, sweet Julia because you are as nice and caring as it gets.  But you are so much more than a sweet little girl.

You are strong.  You do not like mean people and your feelings are easily hurt when people are mean.  You do not hesitate to stick up or yourself or for others that you feel are being mistreated.  This makes me so proud.

You are a leader.  People look to you on how to handle situations yet you have a quiet peace about you and do not need to be the center of attention.  But you don't mind if you are the center of attention either.  This makes you a great leader.

You contribute a lot to our family.   You help make the house run a bit better by cleaning your room, making your bed, and cleaning up your toys all without ever being asked.  I'm not sure how or why you started to do these things but I sure am glad that you do them!  Sometimes you like to surprise Mommy and go out of your way to make Emma's and Mommy's beds when all your work is done.  It is always a wonderful surprise and always makes me smile.

You are funny.  There are so many little things you do throughout the day that makes me laugh.  All these little things and silly faces really make my day brighter.  Thank you for sharing your silly side with us.

You are serious.  Sometimes so very serious.  This will serve you well as you navigate through life and I'm so glad you have such a funny, silly side that balances this out.

You are a natural born traveller.  You make yourself at home in planes, trains, buses, hotels, foreign cities and towns and roll with all the "things" that come with travel much better than most adults I know.  You have a bit of wanderlust that I think you got from your Mommy and we know that one day you will want to venture off on your own.  We will support you when that happens.

We continue to be amazed at how each year you develop and mature way beyond our expectations.  We have no doubt that this year will be any different.  We know you will learn new things, make new friends, and have fun-filled adventures.  And we look forward to supporting you every step of the way.

Love, 

Mommy

Here is what you had to say on your 1st day of 1st grade.  You wanted me to take a video and it was such a great idea I think we'll have to do this every year!  Maybe we'll add this to our back to school traditions along with our traditional Mommy/Daughter date night before school starts.