hazel is 6

dear hazel,
you turned six last week and in some ways the time between the day you breathed your first breath and that 6th birthday is only a blur. but in other ways, i remember with such clarity the day by day way you have been becoming.
you are adventurous, but with a wise caution beyond your years.  you are creative and imaginative, but you don't give that away too often, reserving it for specific times to let your true colors burst forth.  you are thoughtful because well, you are always thinking.  you love to give gifts and cards and creations away and even though you are great with words, you'd rather give the tangible to show love rather than give the words away.  you are doing so great in kindergarten.  you seem to really love it but you also are really great to let me know in your own way that you miss me too.  you still take gymnastics and still like it a lot.  you also started play practice at a kids theater and you are all about it.  you have loved annie for well over a year and when you went to kindergarten this year i had to tell you to leave ms hannigan at home...she is your favorite character to act like and sing like, which is so risque.
so approaching your 6th birthday you said the only thing you wanted was for your friends to come over and watch annie.  and that is just what we did.  and you were on top of the world about it.

hazel, you also have been saving your own money for a ridiculously huge giraffe.  so, we surprised you with it on the morning of your actual birthday.  you named it GG and i don't know if you've ever loved anything more.  you carry it around and sleep with it, bring it to the table to eat with us, put it on your back for walks around the yard. so funny.
happy birthday, sweet daughter.