Dear Tay

Dear Taylor,

I spent more than a few minutes staring at you while you slept tonight. Today was your first day of first grade, but it feels like your first day of preschool was just yesterday. I see you growing and changing every day. Your hair is longer. Your teeth are falling out at an alarmingly fast pace, and it makes me laugh when you pose for the camera with your pumpkin-esque smile. (You are so very proud of your missing teeth.) You are much taller than you were at the beginning of the summer and have lost all of your baby chub. And I've noticed lately that you're all legs now. But you're still my baby.

You didn't seem nervous at all about school today. I peeked in your room at 6 am and you said, "I gotta get up and get goin'!" You couldn't wait to walk to school.

You had a hard time choosing between a puppy backpack and a Monster High girl one when we were school shopping. You chose the puppy, but reluctantly left the Monster High backpack at Kohl's. I don't know why, exactly, but I drove my tired butt to Kohl's last night and surprised you with the Monster High backpack this morning. I guess I just wanted your first day to be special. I just wanted to see you happy. And I was so glad to see how excited you were to find it when you woke up. I hope I'm not spoiling you by doing things like that. I second guess myself, all the time. But when you have a coupon and Kohl's cash, and a little girl who has her heart set on something, it becomes a no brainer.

I watched you run up to a friend today that I had never met, and marveled at how you hugged her, beaming. And I tried hard not to take too many pictures or smother you too much when you stood in line with your crew to head into class. I'm starting to feel like I need to back off a bit, and that's not an easy thing for your dear old mom. I see you wanting to be more independent than you were last year at this time and I promise, I'll let you pick out your own clothes and make more choices on your own now that you're pushing the ripe old age of 6.

Even though we butt heads sometimes, I hope you know how much I love and adore the heck out of you. I'll try to ignore the fact that you were disappointed today when I picked you up from school. For some reason, you expected Nana. It's ok. I get it. I'm slightly less fun, more rigid, and I don't let you eat popcorn for dinner.

You make me laugh so much, and I'm always amazed at your curiosity and eagerness to know the answer to everything. You are smart and beautiful. More importantly, you have a huge heart. Case in point- you asked me to show you a real life picture of a porcupine yesterday, so I found one on my phone. You flipped through the pictures, and found a picture of a dog with quills sticking out of it everywhere. Apparently, it lost a fight with a porcupine....You cried. Loudly. For five minutes. I tried very hard not to roll my eyes, because that's just who you are. Sensitive, through and through. I pray to God it's a character trait that works in your favor, and not against you. I pray you know who you are, and how incredibly wonderful you are. I hope you never doubt that. I hope you choose to be confident and happy, because those things truly come down to choice.

My last little wish for you this school year, is to just have fun. I really hope you do. I hope you play, play, play, and laugh, laugh, laugh. I could give a poo about how you do academically, because I know how smart you are and you don't seem to struggle at all in that area. I'm excited to watch you on another new, little adventure.

Love you Stinker,

Mom