Your First Triathlon

Katherine, today was a very special day. In the midst of our beautiful Okanagan summer, you ran your first kids triathlon today. I am amazed at the things you can do at 7 years old!

The idea to sign you up for the race came about many months ago when we talked about triathlons and how they combine swimming, biking and running and you told me that you love all three… and this sounded like fun!

As we got closer to the race day, we spend time in the pool preparing for the swim, and we spent time on our bikes preparing for the bike ride and I watched you run many times when I walked. You were ready!

Last night, when you were nervous before the race, we called our good friend, Crystal. She has run many Ironman triathlons and other races and you and she talked about race day. You were ready! 

Today you were ready! I watched you be focused and determined. You had a strategy for your swim technique, you were confident on your bike ride (wow, you took off so fast!!) and when I stood close to where you transitioned to your run I could see the determination in your eyes… and you finished strong at the end of your run, racing through the finish.

I loved being there, cheering you on together with daddy and our friend Crystal. She had made bright pink posters for you so could see them while racing… it was perfect, we were your biggest fans!!

You are teaching me that we do better when we have people around us who are cheering us on! It helps us to keep going and to make it through any race - and life! I saw you be strong and determined today – and have fun!! I am so proud of you today, and every day. I love you always and forever.

Your First Day of Grade 1

Katherine, today was your first day of grade 1… wow you’re my big “little girl” now!

We spent a fabulous summer together filled with adventures and a big 3-week trip to Germany. During our trip you experienced a lot of German traditions and you learned about a very special custom, one that you really wanted to be part of: the “Schultüte”… a special cone that’s given to a child on the first day of first grade in Germany, filled with treats, school supplies and toys. I grew up with this custom, and so did your daddy and I had planned for a long time already to carry this tradition forward on your first day of first grade. But even with travelling to Germany this summer, brining one of the ready-made cones back was just not feasible as it was too large & bulky for our luggage. But I did have a chance to have a close look at the ones in Germany, so when we returned I started a little craft project and made you your very own Schultüte and filled with with German chocolates, toys, pencils and erasers… and surprised you with it on the morning of the first school day.

As we took photos of you with your Schultüte, I realized that it was almost bigger than you (that wasn’t planned, but can happen when a mommy works on a surprise project late nights with no kid as size comparison). The smile on your face and sparkle in your eyes was priceless - what a perfect start to your first grade school year!

In Germany we have a saying that “mit der 1. Klasse beginnt der Ernst des Lebens” (that translates to „in first grade begins the seriousness of life“. I have heard this lots during our trip and I have to admit, I don’t agree with that statement – first grade should be about discovering learning and having fun with it. Dropping you off at school this morning – your face was beaming with excitement… and picking you up at the end of the school day – your face was still beaming with excitement! I am so excited for you for this year.

You are teaching me that life never needs to be as serious as old sayings make it sound. My wish for you is that you remember that there is always time to laugh, to be curious and to be excited about the little things in life! That there is always time to be silly, to read one more book, to have one more meaningful conversation. I love you always and forever.

Last Day of Kindergarten

Katherine, today was your last day of Kindergarten. It seemed like only yesterday that we dropped you off on your first day… I remember the last night before school started you had a hard time sleeping; you were worried about being at a new school, with new children and new teachers. You held daddy’s and my hand tightly as we dropped you off for the first time. But you needn’t worry because you made great friends and your teachers were nothing short of amazing in leading you this past year. I watched you thrive and become a confident little girl, and every morning when daddy and I dropped you off at school you gave us both a big hug, a kiss on the heart and told you that you love us… and then you turned around and walked away – towards your friends, learning and play.

I have quietly watched you walk away many mornings, watching you as you are growing up and becoming more independent, but knowing “there is always time for a kiss and a hug” (you tell me this often!)

At your school’s year end ceremony today every child was recognized for their areas of excellent improvement. You received your award for “reading and applying your understanding of new concepts”… I am so proud of you! You have discovered a love of learning that I hope stays with you throughout every day of your life.

You are teaching me that life is ever-changing;  to live every day with confidence, love and compassion… and that “there is always time for a kiss and a hug”. I love you always and forever.

My Superhero

Katherine, today was superhero day at your school… the challenge was to show up with your super powers, and dress the part too!

You didn’t hesitate long to decide that you wanted to be “Superhero Katherine”. A couple of years ago, I made you a superhero cape (pink, of course!) and that’s what you proudly wore today – along with a beautiful pink shirt with lots of hearts on it (and your superhero mask of course… every superhero needs a cool mask!)

You explained to me that as Superhero Katherine your superpower is LOVE. And you giggled as you told me that, because now it was time for you to share your real secret with me… “love isn’t just my fantasy superpower, it’s my real power”. Yes, it is my little girl – LOVE is truly your superpower – I see that in you every day!

You are teaching me that we can all be superheros (and maybe we should all wear a cape once in a while to remind us of that). When you were dressed in your real-life-superhero costume this morning, you looked up at me and said “I wish I could fly and a trail of hearts would come from my cape and spread all around the world”. You leave a trail of hearts wherever you go! I love you always and forever.

Christmas Concert

Katherine, last night was your Christmas Concert at school; it was so special to see you and the fellow students in your school perform. Your class sang a beautiful song “Lullaby of Love” and your class mates and you were dressed as sheep, cows and donkeys for your part of the Christmas story.

You were the most beautiful donkey I have ever seen! I know you have been practicing and practicing your song, and the most special part was to hear you sing your solo! I can’t tell you how proud I am of you!

I remember the moment you told me that you had a solo part in your class song “mommy, I’ll be singing by myself, in front of the whole school – just me!” As the day of the performance came closer, you were a bit anxious about it, and a few days ago you told me that you got it all wrong during your rehearsal. That’s ok; and I want to share a little secret with you… I do the same all the time when I’m preparing for a presentation and practice.

But when the big moment came, I saw you confidently sing your solo, not worrying or thinking; just being present, sharing your love and trusting yourself – and it was beautiful! 

You are teaching me that we can do anything we choose to, we just need to believe in ourselves. I am so proud to see you grow into the confident little girl you are becoming; you inspire me every day! I love you always and forever.

Your First Day of Kindergarten

Katherine, this week was your first day of Kindergarten. It’s a big step, you’re going from casual afternoons a few times a week at preschool to full day Kindergarten. It’s a big step for you… and for daddy and me. It’s your transition to becoming a more independent little human (you keep telling me that you are a “human” whenever we call you a little pup, a little monkey or anything else).

You look dashing in your school uniform, you are so proud as you carry your backpack all by yourself, you are so excited as you line up to go to the class room with your friends…. and I am watching you with a quiet smile, so proud of the confident “little human” you are becoming.

At the end of each school day this week you greet us with a beaming face and wild hair as we pick you up from your classroom – you’re clearly having the time of your life! Each day as I ask you a few questions about your school day the answer is always the same: “I don’t remember – I was having too much fun”. But at night, when we snuggle, you often start telling me little stories about your day… my favourite time of the day!

You are teaching me that you’re ready for bigger adventures in life, it’s the start of discovering the world on your own.

My little wish for you:

May you always trust in yourself,
may you always share your big heart with others,
may you always find fun and joy in all you do
…. every day as much as you do today.

I love you always and forever.

Sparkly Eyed Moments

Katherine, this afternoon you kept asking daddy and me if we could go the playground. It was already late in the day and we were on our way home. The playground wasn’t in the plan, but we eventually gave in and made a surprise stop at the playground for you during the drive. I love it when you tell me “my eyes are sparkly” as your face lights up and beams with excitement (and your eyes really become sparkly).

We agreed on only “a few minutes”… which turned into almost an hour of sparkly-eyed playtime. Daddy and I settled on a bench as you climbed your way up to the really tall slide where you gave us the biggest wave before you raced the way down. Followed by more climbing and more waving as your adventure continued, you explored every structure on the playground and eventually made your way to your favourite… the swing!

Daddy gave you a good push to get you started and then stepped back and today was the first time I saw you keep the swing in motion by pumping your legs. You had been practicing for a long time, but today was your day. You managed to swing as high as the swing would go… or as you put it “watch me fly all the way up to the sky!”. Not taking any hands of the swing, you came up with a creative elbow wave to wave at us with bright, sparkly eyes and I couldn’t stop smiling as I was watching you.

You are teaching me that no matter what time of the day it is, there is always time to play; and there is always time to create sparkly eyed moments. I love you always and forever.

Happy Birthday – The Big 5

Katherine, my birthday girl, my big girl…  you are 5 years old today! I am smiling as I am writing this for you, because I am so proud of you for the person you are becoming. My caring girl, my smart girl, my pretty girl and of course my curious girl. If there is anything to be questioned, you will be there to ask the question. I have lost count how many “why” questions I answer in any given day, but I love it that your questions often make me pause because you ask about a problem I had never thought of.

Santa had brought you a big toy Ferris wheel, and it has 7 little cabins. Part of the toy is a ticket booth where the little toy figures can buy their little toy tickets. The only problem with it? There are only 6 tickets that came with it… that made no sense to you (and after you mentioned it, daddy and I had to agree… and we’ll now have to ask the toy maker). In the meantime you solved the problem – you simply made an extra ticket; and while you were at it you also made some toy money so they little toy people can pay for their toy tickets.

Today was your special day and when you woke up you exclaimed that today was all about you! It was your day, and I feel grateful that I put everything else aside today to spend your special day with you – it became a special day for me too. We made cupcakes from scratch together for your birthday party and I have to say you’re becoming quite a little baker! We had lots of fun decorating them (originally we had planned on blue sprinkles for the blue cups and pink sprinkles for the pink cups, but you had a much better idea in mixing both colours because “it looks like a lot more fun” – and you were right).

In the afternoon you had a very special birthday party with your friends, a Frozen Minnie Mouse party. You couldn’t decide on either, because you like both Frozen and Minnie Mouse, so from that came the big idea to combine both (I am grateful for the master party decorator at the indoor playground – who knew that Queen Elsa and Olaf love wearing mouse ears…). I love seeing that sparkle in your eyes when big ideas become reality… you truly believe that anything is possible. Keep dreaming big!

On the drive home after your party tonight, the conversation became more serious. You were telling me that today was all about you and I told you, yes it was, it was your special day and I really enjoyed spending the day with you. You paused for a moment and told me that you wanted the day to be about me too, it should be special for me too. I couldn’t stop smiling as I was replying to you that it was very special because we got to spend it together.

You are teaching me that days aren’t special because of a special date in the calendar, but because we make them special, with who we are and what we do. You are still little, but already you’re making difference – with every thoughtful question you ask, with every idea you have, with every smile and every hug you share. I feel so blessed to have you in my life; words cannot express the joy you have given me. I love you always and forever.

The Little Moments

Katherine, I treasure the time we spend together… watching you grow up is my greatest joy.

Sometimes there are things that happen that feel like big moments that make me so proud of you – like this morning when you were spelling “petshop” (your choice of word, not mine!) with stickers on a Minnie Mouse sticker collage you were making and you only needed help with 2 letters in the sequence as you were spelling it out.

But more often than that, it’s the little things that happen that just make me smile.

Last night for example… when we had a little accident with our Sodastream machine with which we make sparkling water. You always fizz up the water with the machine – after daddy loads the bottle, he lifts you up so you can reach the button to “make” the water… well last night somehow the bottle wasn’t properly clicked in and as soon as you pushed the start button all three of us froze in a split second as we realized that instead of the carbonation going into the water, it pushed the water out of the top which started to spray everywhere across the counter. Daddy and I dashed for kitchen towels and as we turned around we watched you quietly reach for the roll of paper towels and clean the front of the counter as water was running down. Those are the moments that make me proud of you.

You live your life with confidence and joy, which comes out in everything you do. We were at the grocery store today and you picked out a roll of Christmas wrapping paper we wanted to buy (you took your time looking through ALL the different choices before picking the green one with the reindeer) and at first you were proudly carrying it through the store. A couple of isles over you stopped and asked to climb into the cart. After you settled in, you explained to me that the shopping cart was now the boat and the roll of wrapping paper was the oar. As we walked up and down the isles you were rowing as you were quietly singing “row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream…” and when I stopped too long to get the things on our shopping list, you urged me to move as the crocodiles were getting closer. As people were watching you, you smiled at them proudly which promptly got them to smile back.

You are teaching me that the little things we do make a difference. You make our world a little better place every day with what you do and who you are - with every time you lend a hand to help someone, with every smile you share with someone; and with every plastic bag you’ll randomly pick up in a parking lot and carry to a waste bin (because as you were telling us that it’s not good for a car to drive over it). These are the moments that make me very proud of you. I love you always and forever.

Your New Bike

Katherine, you recently got to try out a bicycle at a friend’s house and you loved it!! You started dreaming of your own bike – it should be pink and have a Minnie Mouse on it, or Hello Kitty, or Little Ponies, or… or… - but it must be pink and have a little basket in the front!

The bike you have had up to know has served you well - and while not pink, it has taught you the basic skills of how to use a bike. A balance bike, it doesn’t have any pedals and in all fairness you have been outgrowing it a bit (and growing is something you’ve been doing at lighting speed lately!)

So your daddy and I have decided the time has come for a “big girl” bike with pedals (and training wheels!)… and today was the day to go shopping for your new bike.

After visiting a few stores and not finding quite what we were looking for (safety first – no, the bike with no hand break was not an option!) we walked into the bike section of a store and there it was – a white and pink Hello Kitty bike with pink rims, a pink seat, a pink bag on the front – and pink and silver streamers on the sides of the handle bar! “I love it” was your first reaction, followed by a not so convincing “it’s wobbly” (as you got on it and the training wheels shifted side to side, helping you stay on it). But you were determined and after a little frustration, some “push me, push me” requests you were pedaling up and down the aisle in the store by yourself. We found your bike!

The lady at the cash register couldn’t stop smiling as she saw your proud face and excitement when we were paying for your new ride - and all plans for the rest of the afternoon went on hold as we had to get home quickly because you were ready to ride!

Daddy got your new and my (not so new) bike ready for us to begin our first adventure… because riding in the driveway just wouldn’t do. Your excitement made more than up for the learning curve (ok, we had both had a little moment where we almost turned back around after about 5 minutes of being out, but we quickly got over that) – and in no time at all you were riding your bike in the neighbourhood. We had so much fun and your training wheels kept you (mostly) upright.

You are teaching me that with learning anything new there will be little bumps – in this case quite literally… bigger bumps on the path got your bike to tip twice on our outing and catapulted you from the bike to the ground. Both times you hurt yourself a little (nothing serious, but I’m sure it must have been unpleasant), and both times you cried for a moment, but then you dusted yourself off and got back on the bike and we continued on. I am proud of you for not getting discouraged and not giving up. As we were riding along, I realized that we were on the same path we used to take when I was pushing you in the stroller when you were really little… and today we were riding side by side on our bikes. How far you have come… I love you always and forever.

Independent Moments

Katherine, the days and months are flying by – you have completed your first year of pre-school and we’re having much fun this summer!

It’s such a joy to watch you grow and become more and more independent. Yes, there is that little part of me that just wants to keep my arms wrapped around you forever to keep you safe, but I know it’s your time to explore the world more and more on your own.

You are becoming more adventurous and you’re also becoming more confident when you’re doing things by yourself.

From charging up the ladder when we’re picking cherries in the backyard, and waving from the top with a big smile on your face as you are reaching for the cherries as high as you can… to telling me “I know, I really know…” when I am trying to show you how to do something – you are thoughtful, but confident in all you do.

Last week you went to a gymnastics camp a couple of mornings and we had many talks about you staying there all by yourself. You had been there before for classes and other things, but never just by yourself. You asked me a lot of “what if” questions and we found a lot of answers and when I dropped you off, you were a little tentative for a couple of moments. But then you made up your mind that you had covered all your “what if’s” and gave me a hug and a kiss (as we always do when we say good-bye) and went to your group. Once you say your good-byes, you move forward – you don’t look back, you don’t waiver in your decision. That’s when I know you’ll be ok. When I picked you up later, you had such a proud smile on your face and your eyes were sparking – you did it… all by yourself!

You are teaching me that it’s my job to let you go… a little bit at a time. Yesterday you asked me if I will still love you when you grow up and I told you that I will never ever stop loving you. You always put your little arms as far apart as you can and ask me if I love you “this much” and I always put my longer arms as far apart as I can and answer you “I love you this much!”. And that is my promise to you: I love you always and forever.

Swimming… Your Way

Katherine, it’s Spring Break and I have booked swimming lessons for you. You have done swimming lessons before, but you never seemed to have great fun doing them. The first year we did them, you were less than impressed when the instructor asked me to turn you on your back and float you in the water. Last year, you were no longer engaging in the class after you saw the instructor pull another child in the class through the pool with his head under water for a short distance (there was no way you would let that happen to you). So for the past year you have gotten by quite well with little swim wings that helped you stay above water when we were at a pool or on vacation – and you have even practiced the techniques you learned in your classes… like blowing bubbles under water.

With summer getting closer, a few weeks ago we talked about swimming and you mentioned you can “almost” swim. Taking my window of opportunity, I suggested taking another class which was met with a thoughtful pause from you after which you replied that you don’t want your head dunked under water. I can relate to that – I don’t like it either, but I knew mentioning that wouldn’t help my argument.  So instead I asked you how we could solve that – and you had obviously thought about this before, because without hesitation your answer was “goggles”.

So here we are today at your first day of lessons and on the drive to the class you reminded me that you don’t want your head dunked under water. We talked about it and I suggested that you could tell the teacher when we arrived. You did (and the head instructor made sure to tell your instructor) and we also arranged for us to go over to the goggle display where you were able to select a pair yourself that we would purchase for you.

What a difference that made! Knowing no one would ask you to go under water without your permission and having your goggles firmly on your head made the class fun for you. You even put your face under water a few times by yourself and when it came time to jump into the water from the edge of the pool you went in with a big splash (and climbed out and did it again!)

You are teaching me that it’s important for all of us that our voice is being heard. Today your little hand was holding mine so tight and it took all your courage to speak up to an adult you didn’t really know. Your opinion was respected – you are still little, but your thoughts and feelings are just as important. Today I saw you stand up for yourself. I am very proud of you. I love you always and forever.

Happy Birthday

Katherine – Happy, happy 4^th Birthday!!!!

It’s hard to believe you are already 4 years old today. People always tell me to be mindful of those early years we have with a child, they pass so quickly. You have grown from a toddler into a young girl – especially these last few months you have become more assertive, confident and independent. Your world is growing with preschool and friends and you are embracing all of it.

I am in awe watching you learn life skills.  I am constantly reminded that it’s your daddy’s and my job to teach you, and also model the right behaviour for you. Things we take for granted, like crossing the road: we are teaching you to stop, look left-right-left and when it’s safe, start walking. You have caught me more than a few times where I looked in passing instead of really stopping at the edge of the sidewalk. There is nothing like a little girl yelling “STOP”, followed by a stern “you did not look” comment. Point taken! Rules are there to be followed, right?

But I also still love those moments when it’s just you and me time – when we snuggle together, play together and read together. I have to admit, I’m not ready to give up those moments quite yet and I’m hoping as you grow older they’ll shift into moments where we have meaningful conversations, share some laughs and simply spend quality time together.

My birthday girl, you are teaching me that time doesn’t stand still. Things change… always. But I know the best is yet to come for you as you grow up and grow into anything you want to be. As little as you still are, you already are a kind, bright and caring person and while the future is still an unwritten story, what I know in my heart is that you’ll have an impact on this world. I love you always and forever.

Your First Day at Preschool

Katherine, today was a milestone day! Your first day of preschool.

This day has been coming for a long time and we talked about you staying without daddy and me at preschool (for less than 3 hours). We have prepared, bought your backpack and snack pack and all the little items you needed to get ready. Today was the big day – a new chapter in your life is starting.

We were packing your back pack and snack pack together earlier today and I realized in that moment you were ready for your new adventure. And I also realized my little girl is growing up. Your world of independence grows and you are making good decisions for yourself.

Dropping you off at preschool was exciting… until it came to the moment where we actually dropped you off and left. There were tears (yes, I admit, not only from you!), but you quickly forgot all about it once we left and when it was time you pick you up, you greeted us with a big smile!

Your backpack is the shape of a butterfly and just before we were leaving the house you said “look, it’s flying its wings”.  How fitting, as you are spreading your wings today.

Here is my wish for you:

May you always be curious about the world,
And never stop asking questions.
May you always enjoy your journey,
And never stop dancing in the rain.
May you always be kind to those that you meet,
And never stop being true to yourself.
May you always have a caring heart,
And never stop believing that anything is possible.
May you always know you are loved more than words can ever express.

I love you always and forever.

Our Trip to the Fair

Katherine, today we went to the IPE fair. We had such a fun afternoon together! As soon as we got to the fairgrounds, there was this twinkle in your eyes and you pulled us in all different directions - there was so much to see and do.

We visited the goats, the cows, the bunnies, the pigeons and the geese. When we visited the chickens you even got to see a little chick hatch!

In the amusement park section we discovered a beautiful Merry-Go-Round (we call it Karussell in Germany) with colourful horses. After watching the ride for a little while, I asked you if you want to ride it. With big eyes you shook your head and continued to watch it go round and round. I asked you again if you want to ride it… if I came with you. This time you agreed! After we got our tickets, we waited in line to get on the ride. You were so excited, jumping up and down. When it was our time to get on, you chose a beautiful horse to sit on and held on tight. The ride began to go round and round, the lights were blinking, the music was playing, and your horse was moving up and down… and you were mesmerized by it all!

We continued our fun afternoon by visiting the petting zoo, panning for gold, a pony ride and playing some amusement games (where you won a little cute orange bear you named Care Bear Puppyrella!).

At the end of the evening when it was time to go home, you asked us to take you back to the Merry-Go-Round to go on it for one more ride – with daddy!

You are teaching me to see the world through your eyes. When I looked into your eyes during this Merry-Go-Round ride today, I saw pure joy and wonder and when I looked around us I saw the reason for it. It was one of those truly perfect moments in time… I hope you never lose your sense of wonder that shows you the beauty of life. I love you always and forever.

“I Do It!”

Katherine, you are becoming more and more independent – and you are speaking more, which allows you to express yourself and your desire to be independent. A common phrase we hear is “No, no, no - I do it”. When your daddy and I do not comply, a repeat of the same phrase is in order. Sometimes you emphasize your point by raising your voice or by giving us a stern look.

The best investment we have recently made is a pink step stool which you carry everywhere in the house to reach up a little higher. It’s become a great tool in your journey to independence. I love that you don’t mind that it takes way longer to go get the step stool, set it up to reach up to the counter and get what you want and then climb back off the step stool than it would take for me to simply hand you what you wanted.

You are also getting quite proficient at putting your shoes on (the left on the left and the right on the right) and taking them off. I am watching you as you sometimes struggle to get your little hands to do what you need them to do, but you try and try again until you succeed. And what puts me in awe is that when it’s time to go out, you go to the wardrobe, pick the shoes you want to wear and then proceed to take out daddy’s and my shoes as well and line them up for us to get dressed too (mine on the stairs beside yours and daddy’s beside the chair at the entrance door, because that’s where you know we always sit down)!

You are teaching me to be patient, because sometimes being independent isn’t about being fast, it’s about the sparkle in your eyes when you did what you set out to accomplish. You are teaching me to be patient when I see you struggle, to trust that you know how to ask for help when you need it, and to know it’s not my decision to make when that time is. I love you always and forever.

First Time Skating

Katherine, today is New Year’s Eve and 2013 has been filled with many special moments with you. You bring so much joy to our lives and we enjoy every day we get to spend with you.

Today was a beautiful sunny and warm day – how perfect to wrap up a beautiful year! Your dad and I had been talking for a bit about going downtown to the outdoor ice-rink to see if you would enjoy being on skates, and looking outside around lunch time, today seemed like a perfect day for it.

Wrapped in warm jackets and gloves we made our way to the skate rental. You were very excited… and your daddy and I? Well, we hadn’t been on skates for many, many years, so the closer the moment came to actually get on the ice, the more silly our jokes became. We carefully put you on the ice (luckily the rental place also had one of those handy push bars for you). At first you weren’t quite sure what to think about the skates and the fact that your legs now slid back, forth and sideways on the ice, but after a few moments you got the hang of how to drape your arms around the push bar while keeping your legs on the ice. Your daddy and I did pretty much the same thing at first – figuring out how to keep our legs on the ice while hanging on to the push bar! But it didn’t take long for your daddy to get his “skating legs” back and he started to quite elegantly move on the ice again (I had never seen him skate as long as I have known him, so I was quite impressed how well he skated!). I wanted to follow, but your plan was different – you asked me to wrap my arms around you while pushing you and the push bar around the rink. Snuggled up together like this we made our rounds around the rink – I loved it!

I couldn’t have thought of a more special way of spending the afternoon of the last day this year.

You are teaching me that when we spend time together as a family life is perfect, filled with love, laughter and adventure. As we look forward to a new year, I hope we’ll have many more days like today ahead of us. I love you always and forever.

Caring

Katherine, you grow so much every day. I am not just talking about your physical size (even though some days it seems we can almost watch you grow - and judging by the length of your pants, you are in a phase where you are growing by leaps and bounds).

I am talking about your personality and character developing rapidly. You are not only growing into a bright, curious toddler, but also into a caring young girl.

A few days ago we were at the office, and in the afternoon you love having a little cup of rice pudding as a snack. The nice thing about the office is that there is a small fridge, just the perfect size for you to independently get what you feel like snacking. We keep your favourites there – cheese, grapes… and of course cups of rice pudding. Your daddy and I were working at our desks and you were roaming around. All of a sudden I heart the fridge door being opened and after a while being closed again. I heard some mumbling and expected you to come and see me or daddy to get some help in opening a package of cheese or rice pudding. Instead, you walked up to daddy’s desk, put a cup of rice pudding beside him, then continued your path to my desk and repeated the same action, placing a cup of rice pudding beside me. When I asked you if this was for me, a bright smile appeared on your face, you nodded your head and said “eat!”. Your expression then turned to a more serious look and you were clearly in thought. You turned around, walked away and shortly after I heard rumbling noises coming from the kitchen area. When you re-appeared, you walked up to daddy’s desk, placed a spoon beside him and repeated this at my desk. Bringing a cup and spoon for you as well, we were now all ready to have an afternoon snack. This was by far the best cup of rice pudding I ever had!

You are teaching me that showing someone we care doesn’t need to be complicated. A hug, a moment to listen… or a cup of rice pudding. I love you always and forever.

New Words

Katherine, you are beginning to talk more and more. It’s fascinating to hear the words you are picking up (yes, we really need to watch what we are saying!) and how you are beginning to form sentences with them.

Learning German and English at the same time, you understand both languages fluently and you have a very simple system for which language you choose for speaking when we teach you a word in both languages: in whichever language a word is easier to pronounce for you. That works!

Some words come easy, and some words are definitely more difficult still for you to speak. When we ask you if you can say a word, you may repeat it or you’ll simply say “no” (while looking at us with a serious look and shaking your head).

You are saying new words every day, and today was a very special day for that. I heard you say “Katherine” for the first time. My little baby girl, you are growing up.

You are teaching me to be a better listener. Even though you are still little, what you have to say matters. I want you to remember that as you grow up – what you have to say matters. Speak from your heart and trust you will find the right words to say what you want to say. I love you always and forever.

Alphabet Books

Katherine, in the evening, just before bedtime, it’s our special time to spend together. You and me, snuggled up together on the couch in the living room, reading stories. It’s a wonderful way of winding down your day and sharing our love of reading together.

Often the reading time also serves as snack time, having some sweet fruit just before bedtime. Depending on the night you may ask for strawberries, apples, banana… or like tonight – oranges. You munch on your snack while I read to you and often you pause to offer daddy and me a piece of fruit as well (yes, that makes us smile every time).

Some nights we are reading German stories, and other nights English ones. I love that you effortlessly understand either language and we can mix it up any way we feel like.

It’s up to you to pick the stories we read every night and right now you are really enjoying alphabet stories (you are so interested in letters). I recently bought a set of little story books, each featuring a different letter of the alphabet – this of course gives you 26 different stories to choose from. Tonight we were reading about Elvin the Elephant, Nate the Newt, Seal’s Silly Sandwich, Rosie Rabbit’s Radish and the tales of the Bubble Bear. If you kept count, there were 5 stories tonight. Why 5? Because 5 is a number you can show really well with your hand and as you were picking different books (by showing me each single theme letter on another book cover), you kept referring back to your handing showing the number 5 until we had 5 books (I tried to stop at 3, but that didn’t fly).

I admit, even if it’s already later than your bedtime, I am easily persuaded to read “just one more book” with you. And you are very good at persuading!

You are teaching me that feeding our mind is as important as feeding our body. There are books everywhere in our house; your daddy and I have been adding to this collection for many years and since you came into our lives, we have added many children’s books. I am excited to share my love of reading with you… and I am grateful for every evening we have together to snuggle up on the couch with some good stories. I love you always and forever.