Dear Clare,

You are now Four Years Old!  Happy Birthday my sweet darling.  Once again you eagerly anticipated your birthday, but for the first time this year you understood the concept of days, weeks and months so you were counting down until the big day.  You started the day by running into the bathroom and shouting “Mom!  I am four years old today!”  Then you found your dad and told him “watch me!  I run faster now that I’m four.”  A few weeks ago you told me that once you’re four then you will know everything.  That’s pretty high expectations for a birthday, but you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it.

You’ve spent the last year learning more about the world and especially developing new social relationships.  Your best friend is still your lifelong BFF G, but you’ve met several new friends at school.  When I ask you about your days at school you always say that your favorite part was playing with your friends.  Your silly and joyous nature attracts friends and you are very caring and concerned about their feelings. 

You and Sammy have a very sweet relationship.  He continues to adore you and you are very kind and considerate with him.  You torment each other, but you laugh and play more than you argue.  He thinks you are the funniest person he’s ever seen and you will do anything to make him laugh. 

Besides playing with your friends and your brother, your favorite activities are arts and crafts, music and books.  You learned about artists at school and came home talking about Vincent Van Gogh and describing the painting Starry Night.  You told me “I love to paint and I am an artist.”  You have some favorite songs that you hear on the radio and can identify several musicians and sing along to their songs.  You have a great ear and I think we’ll start you on some kind of music lessons soon. 

You are the light in our hearts and the song in our house, my dear one, and I can’t wait to see what the next year brings for you.

All my love,
Heather