My Dearest Peanut,
Adleigh, Happy Birthday! You are 10!!!!!!!!!!
A decade ago you completed our family. I was so nervous when you burst onto the scene, so quietly, you were not crying and it panicked me. But, you just came out yourself, curious and so full of JOY! Watching you grow into the strong, determined, hilarious, smart, kind girl you are today has been one of my greatest joys.
How are you 10? You continue to grow and soar right before my eyes, but you still seem so little to me. You are growing, over 60 pounds now and spirited as ever! I still love picking you up and hearing my favorite phrase “uppie, uppie, uppie”, which I will cherish each and every time. You are still so feisty. In our nightly cuddle times I sing and tickle you and always get you to laugh while you play fight and try to hold in your laugh. Last night was the first time you held in, I think we both realized at the same time that it was a first and then you said “I’ll still laugh even though I won” and let out your signature “Bingo” belly laugh. May you always find laughter and savor the small moments.
A lot of your time each week is spent at the gym. In gymnastics you were promoted to the Silver team, and again won HARDEST WORKER! They have never had back to back winners in that category, but YOU did it! Coaches always comment on your determination. They love how you love conditioning. You are always the first one done with your workouts and you cheer on your teammates to push through. You have also added a tumbling class to your load. Even after practicing eight plus hours a week at the gym, you still work hard at home too, cartwheeling through the house and doing handstands while having a conversation. You do a little floor routine between every break during school. I will always remember when you got your back handspring on the trampoline in the backyard! You were beaming, so proud of yourself! You never gave up, you worked so hard on your goal, and you failed a lot, but you still kept going and YOU DID IT! You are a great teammate, you manage your time well, and you always do it with that infectious smile on your face. May you always be the hardest worker in the room, know when to stop, and find joy in what you do.
While gym is a big focus for you, you still devote a lot of time to theatre and school. This summer you moved up to the Act 3 Mainstage performance of Suessical! You were the cutest “Who” who ever was! You had so many expressions and got great audience reactions from your acting. Soon you will be in Christmas Carol again at Williamsburg Players, your third year! You are balancing that with school where you continue to do so well, straight As, pass advanced tests, you name it. You definitely thrive in the theatre environment, you get to be creative and strive to improve. I love when I give you a 5 minute warning and you say “Thank you, 5!” You certainly fit right in with the theatre community. You make friends wherever you go and everyone loves your contagious smile and grunty laugh. Ready to help out however you can and find that person that needs a friend. Mr. Rogers said “Look for the helpers.” May you always be the helper.
You are busy enough with school, gym, and theatre, but you always make family your priority. There will always be important things, but family is everything. You are a kind and supportive sister. When Liberty is having a hard time you always do what you can to support her and help her talk about what is going on. When Canton is ranting about this or that, you listen without judgement. Whenever any of them have some event, you are there, always their biggest cheerleader. You are always there for hugs and cuddles, or a well timed dad joke or impression. You have a gift of knowing how to support people and the heart to want to. May your empathy always guide you.
You are so loved, and we love everything about you! We love the feisty girl who wrestles with dad and doesn’t give up. We love the quirky girl who proudly peels off grape skin. We love the smart girl who gets aggravated with her classmates taking forever, and then finds a book to occupy her time. We love the playful girl who develops games with Lou and gleefully sings songs by “The Nutties”. We love the kind girl who draws Owen pictures to cheer up Liberty. We love the confident girl who takes on any new challenge. We love the “Little Sass” who has the quick wit to get a laugh out of anyone and brighten our day. And we love the joyful girl who scoots her chair at lunch to be closer to me, sings the Jardiance commercials, and freely gives her smile, her laugh, her hugs, and her kindness. May you always be you and love yourself as much as we do.
While you are “Practically Perfect in Every Way”, things won’t always be perfect. School will get harder, skills will get harder, and people won’t be as accepting of your kindness and spirit. Your successes will give you your confidence, but your setbacks will give you your character. You have shown us what focus and perseverance looks like in gymnastics, school, theatre, and in life. Your determination will carry you far. But it doesn’t matter how many medals you win, we won the best prize already 10 years ago when you completed our family. I love YOU! I will ALWAYS love you! Even as the next 10 years bring about huge change, while you straddle innocence and adulthood, I will always be here to love you, however you need me. Unconditional love is accepting the person for who they are, not expecting anything in return, simply cherishing the person, providing a constant peace and stability, and I will always be your safety net. I will love you forever!
May you celebrate this special birthday knowing that you are loved beyond measure. Keep tumbling forward, reaching high, and savoring every single moment with your belly laugh and beautiful heart.
Happy Birthday, Peanut! I’ll love you forever!
Love,
Mama