Wow! Double digits, this one is a biggie! But we don't actually need a milestone this year to realize how much you've changed. Your maturity has been obvious for a while. You've become a GIANT. Everyone that sees you comments on your height. And you are just generally a pleasant, engaged and hilarious member of our family. Bob and I have always felt that a good sense of humor is an important quality to have, but we may have over shot the goalpost with you! Between your impressions of your favorite lady Ghostbusters, or doing impression of Saturday Night Live skits you are always yukking it up about something!
By the way, even if it's weird that a ten-year-old likes to imitate Kate McKinnon's impression of Angela Merkel, please don't ever stop. We love how you march to the beat of your own drummer. That's something that will serve you well in life, don't ever lose that!
I feel like just yesterday your dad and I were just getting married, pondering what it would be like to have kids. Now, three years plus a decade later, you're using our wedding beer cozies for your eating your slush on a cold day. Slush, I might add, that you won at school for being a super student! It's just too much to comprehend!
I'm pretty sure you go easy on us as far as being a "tween" goes, but every once in a while we get a glimpse of some battles ahead. For instance, (big shocker!) you don't actually appreciate our input on your "Eco-challenge" presentation posters. Sadly, your dad and I majored in presentation posters, so our opinions aren't going anywhere. But, we promise to be respectful of your opinions if you promise to keep the eye-rolling to a minimum.
This year you moved up to a new school where you have a lot more freedom and independence. You play inter mural sports after school, or walk to the library all by yourself sometimes. And the coolest new thing you do is play trumpet in the fourth grade band. I'm so impressed with how far you've come this year. You seem to have a real talent for music, though we have no idea where you got that from!
While you really seem to like playing the trumpet, you live for sports. You had such a great time this summer playing softball and made so many great friends. I know you are counting the days until the season begins again.
But luckily you've found a winter sport to focus on. You thought really hard about whether you wanted to play basketball or if it would be too hard for you. I think you are becoming more aware of the challenges you have with a weak "righty". Eventually you decided you wanted to give it a try and I'm so glad you did! It's not easy to step out of your comfort zone and do something that you might fail at, but then again, you've never lacked for courage. I think "Coach Ted" (who's a former UMASS player from the 1996 Final Four team that UK defeated!) is super-impressed with you, how you work so hard and are so motivated. Watching you fly down the basketball court is amazing. I love seeing you do what you love to do.
And speaking of basketball, how lucky are you to get to shoot hoops at Rupp Arena. (Coach Ted probably hasn't even done that!) And yes, you still bleed blue. I don't see that changing anytime soon!
When you aren't playing basketball (or eating Pringles or building with Legos) you are more than likely reading something. And that something is more than likely related to Harry Potter. You are a Harry Potter fanatic. In fact you are rarely without Gryffindor hat on, (though you are actually a Hufflepuff and don't you forget it!) I can't tell you how many conversations we have about what would or wouldn't be going on in the "Wizarding World". I feel so lucky that you still let me read to you, reading Harry Potter with you has become one of my most favorite parts of every day. (We are probably two years from finishing all the Harry Potter books but I already have another series in mind so I can keep reading to you!)
It's been a great year, you've grown in so many different ways! It's so much fun watching you become your own person. Just don't change too much, we love you just the way you are!
Happy Birthday Maddy!
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