Oh dearest Tessa……I know I start every birthday post like this but I just can’t believe you are 6 and in first grade. Someone might think you are 10 based on how you talk and carry yourself, but I see and know the little girl that you are. You carry yourself as strong and outspoken, but you are also sweet, kind, loving, funny, sassy, and so much more. I know that we will be forever best friends.

Your 5th year and the start of your 6th year has been a hard one. 2020 has brought us all the Corona Virus (aka Covid 19). I don’t know how much you will remember in the future but I know that it has been tough on us all. Your Kindergarten year was cut short, and you have entered first grade wearing a mask, not being able to move about the classroom, and a plastic barrier surrounding your desk. Personal touching is kept to a minimum and we have to see our loved ones from afar. We spent months in quarantine together as a family, and although we love eachother, it was hard. Much was taken away from you and for that I am sad. But in true Tessa fashion you are doing amazing with the change. You are in school and happy and for that I am thankful. You go every day with a smile and you tackle these challenges head on. You have done so throughout. There is sooo much more I could write about this time for you, but I won’t. This is about you and is only a small piece of who you are.

You remind me so much of myself. Let’s be honest you don’t stop talking and your imagination is strong! Your vocabulary is rather large also and I am always in awe of the words that come out of your mouth. You love fashion and have a high opinion of what you want to wear. This can be fun and frustrating at the same time. Once I realized to just let you fly with what you want to wear it has gotten easier. Unlike your brother who let me pick his clothes, we now are in a groove and are enjoying picking your daily outfits. Shirts and pants must go all the way down, things can’t tickle you and your socks in the shoes can’t bunch at all, but now that we know this we can work with it….or at least try to!

The corona virus took away some of your favorite activities which would be gymnastics, dance and cheerleading. We were so close to getting you the cheer program you wanted and then this……I promise you will get to cheer someday! But one thing that this has done is slow us down. Dad has been working from home so he is home when you get back from school, we chat on our drives to and from school, and our nights our leisurely without too many activities. Maybe what feels like a loss can also be considered a gain?

You draw me pictures almost every day about how much you love me. I am going to save them so one day when we fight, I can remind you. I am not sure I will have to too often because we always know when to make up. It sounds funny saying this to a 6 year old but I love how we can already talk things through. Even though I know a hug won’t always fix things I know that right now it fixes most things and I love that. I hope you read this one day and know how much I love those pictures and kind words. Your teacher told me the other day “she just loves you so much”……my response to her was “I know”.

I have a feeling this year ahead will be challenging. I worry every day what this year will do to you and your brother. It’s not fair that we all lose this time. I am being kept out of the schools for safety and all I can thing of is how time is running out. My time to be with you, my time to participate. Maybe that’s more about me then you, but I value it. My hope for you is that you come out unscathed. That this time will be a blip on your radar, and we all get to go back to the fun of the years past. I promise to do my best to bring you the fun and joy you deserve out of life.

So little peanut you are six! It certainly will be a year I won’t forget, and I have a feeling that you won’t either. But no matter what this year brings I am here for you 100%, and I know we will still laugh, snuggle and play like we always do.