A Note To My Darling Daughter

Kaylin -

The other day there were two events each a day apart where I was reminded of how truly wonderful and special you are. I've told you how proud I am of you but I wanted to put the thoughts down on paper (so to speak). Although you can't read this yet, someday you will be able to and I hope it brings a warm fuzzy to your heart.

So - what were these two events? Well, the first one was your parent-teacher conference. Your teacher (Mrs. Carlson) explained to me how well you are doing both academically and socially. She said many times how intelligent you are (not that I didn't already know that). It was great, though, to hear it from your teacher. She told me how much you enjoy art and music. This didn't surprise me either. You are very creative. You love to dance and work on craft projects. And you've become and excellent color-er. Your teacher said you respect her authority and are very attentive and well-behaved. You, also, participate in all the activities. But - the best thing for me to hear her say was that you are a great example to the other kids. Believe me, these are words every parent wants to hear. Oh - I know it's only pre-school but I like the direction you are heading. You are doing a great job!

The day after you conference you came with us to a Thanksgiving lunch with the Orchard City Ladies Club and their families. There were no kids other than you. And well, the closest people to your age were your mom and dad. Daddy and I were helping in the kitchen and you were left to entertain yourself. You were not the least bit bothered by your circumstances. You didn't come whining to me that you were bored. You didn't ask if we could go home or when we were going home. Instead you entertained yourself as well as other guests. I watched you have no problem going over to talk to a group waiting for the meal to begin. This group was made up of people mostly over the age of 70. It didn't matter to you that they couldn't (or wouldn't) "play" with you. You talked to them, had mini-conversations with them and they were delighted with your presence. At one point I looked over and saw you sitting on the floor showing them how you can tie your shoes. They all thought you were adorable - and frankly, who can argue with them? There are many kids your age (5 for the record) that wouldn't have acted so graciously. Thank you, Peanut, for your sweetness.

Your Daddy and I are so proud of you. You are awesome!!

Love,

Mommy

My Little Cowgirl

Kaylin is getting a real taste of the country life since we've moved to Colorado. This year was the first time she wanted to dress up like a cowgirl for Halloween. This is a huge departure from the standard "princess". Well - she has a pink cowgirl hat so, in theory, she's a princess cowgirl. She had a good time dressing up. Her preschool class walked along main street and collected goodies from local merchants (try to do that in the big city). She even got her picture taken for the county paper.

The other night she was off to another adventure. Our friends and neighbors have several horses as well as a pony. They often try to get their son, Tucker, to ride but he's not into it right now. Thinking that seeing Kaylin ride his pony might change his mind, we took her over for a ride. He remained disinterested but Kaylin thoroughly enjoyed herself. Below are a few pics. It was getting dark (well - really it was only about 5pm but the flash on the camera makes it look much darker) so I only got a few shots. But you can see that she was having a great time. And - yes - that's a bicycle helmet she's wearing. Standard issue for the younguns'. And - yes - she wants a pony for Christmas.