{five days}
Today you are ten. Ten! We’ve been together a decade- both a lifetime and a blink. Enough time to know that I am incredibly lucky to have gotten to hold you so tight while you’ve clung right back onto me. Enough time to realize that there will never be enough time in my lifetime to spend with you.

{one year}
You are just the coolest, kindest, sweetest, most well intentioned child I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. I know I’m supposed to be biased, but somehow I really think this is you and not my bias. You’re special.

{two years}
As I was looking up these pumpkin pictures I noticed you are beginning to change. In my mind you are simply you, Guinevere, my Rosie, Gigi-Pigi-squeegee. Your cheeks are all chubby and your body rounded out with baby fat. But I noticed that you’re definitely growing up, getting taller, leaner, stretching out and settling into more grown up looks.

With maturity is also coming a deeper sense of empathy for others and higher expectations for yourself. You never miss a night of homework, are always honest, try your hardest at everything and I see you authentically try to engage with and absorb everything that is expected of you. Your curiosity is still deep and you seem to remember everything you read. Sometimes I worry about you pushing yourself to perfection, but I hope you remember to play. I’ll remind you if you forget.

Today we will get your ears pierced. Back when you were a little toddler we told you when you were ten you could get your ears pierced. At the time, you were uninterested. Later, fear of pain took over and you definitely weren’t interested in piercing at all. Time passed and with it grew a sense of fashion. Suddenly in the past year, pierced ears seem to have grown in importance and you can’t wait to pierce. Your dad and I feel whiplashed, to hardly have offered the decade long bargain when suddenly we are looking for the best jeweler to poke holes in our baby’s ears. That same baby who came out so perfect and complete, just ten short years ago. It’s shocking to have that bet called.

When we were gifted with your life, a coworker held you after you had only been breathing for a matter of hours. She turned to us and said, “You are so lucky. The world needs your children.” I absolutely agree.
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{seven years}
And guess what? The world does need you and so do the people who get inspired by who you are. Your goodness is infectious. You are consistently recognized as a role model for others for citizenship and as a person of character. There’s a reason for all of that. The accolades are nice, but what’s better than that is that you don’t care about the physical objects you receive- the certificates quickly start to gather dust in your room’s corners- you care about the people you bring your sunshine to. Just remember to keep some of that sunshine for your own gray moments. Of course, we will always be here to polish your shine if you need some help.

{8 years}
This year I finally heard you say the words I knew would someday be uttered, “I just love books and I just can’t stop reading!” You read Geronimo Stilton, The Dork Diaries, The Little House series, The Runaway Dolls and ended your ninth year singing the virtues of 68 Rooms. You came alive as a reader this year and, on its tails, a writer. You have a love of words and a unique talent to weave them together beautifully. It warms me to see your fingers tapping away on your latest screenplay, mystery or comic. You also fell in love with Justin Beiber (for his music- she does not have a crush on him) and One Direction. Your first concert was with me, and I think seeing your mom swoon for her old boy band made it ok for you to let a One Direction celebrity crush unfold. You changed your look this year, finally becoming one of the kids who prefers a snappy t-shirt and skinny jeans to pink, frilly dresses or pretty outfits. Fashion is still king, but you’re more about a teenage sense of fashion than that of a little girl anymore. Barbies are still your toy of choice, Minecraft has ruled your iPad this year and you still share a love with your dad and brother of all of the comic book geekery that is now making fifth and sixth grade boys take a second look. Then a third. One even appreciatively commented, “I’ve seriously never met a girl like you,” after learning that you know Star Wars, the Marvel Universe, Adventuretime and video games as well as him. Now he follows you everywhere. You’re oblivious now, but I think this is only the beginning.

{nine years}
More than anything else I want to tell you how much I love you and marvel at you. I want you to know I admire you and honestly think that you are one of the best people I know and will ever know. I wish I could be as good as you are. As pure. As kind. There’s only one other person who shares all of the goodness and beauty your daddy and I could scrape together in the world to create you. You and your brother are our best achievements. We are infinitely proud of you. We hope you know that.
Thank you for gracing our life with yours.
Happy 10th birthday, dear Little Lamb.

{A Simply Stunning Ten Year Old}

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