Elise at Six

 Little Miss Sunshine Princess,

I'm a little sad that you're turning six. Six is heading away from little kid territory. I'm not sure I'm ready to have you be one of the big kids so soon. Thankfully you don't seem to be in any rush. I still have you and Elijah fighting over my lap during most sacrament meetings (and most family prayers). I still get lots of Elise snuggles every day. Stay little for a while, please!

But I guess you can't stay little forever. You managed to lose your first tooth right around your birthday. It would have been out a lot earlier but you had no interest in wiggling it loose:

You are loving kindergarten and thriving there. You never went through the exhausted phase I was expecting with full day kindergarten. You must be a true extrovert! You adore your teacher and you come home literally every day with papers saying "BFF Elise Vivi Claire Freya." 

You're also in your first ballet/tap class and are loving it as well! You also asked to play soccer in the fall. I have a feeling you are going to keep our schedule very, very busy.

All the girly things. Shoes, dresses, nail polish, bows, sparkles, unicorns, mermaids, rainbows, fairies, princesses. You keep asking me to paint your room rainbow colors and I keep nodding and 'forgetting'. 

For entertainment you love watching YouTube Kids (which I hate, but Elijah loves because...bulldozer videos). But you still prefer playing dolls, or Barbies, or Little Critters, or some other imagination game with Aaron and Elijah. You also spend a lot of time playing outside with our neighbor, Bennett. 

You come home every day with art you've made at school. Lots and lots of hearts and rainbows. You've learned to write "I love you" and make me and Dad love notes regularly. Your spelling is still adorably atrocious, which leads to fun things like the "I Feel Mab" drawing you came home with one day after a kid in class was pestering you. 

You're not quite reading yet, but you are picking out lots of sight words and are working on sounding out words. It's going to click any day now, so I'm not at all worried about it. Your favorite subject is math and you're very good at it. 

Also, still very much into writing/drawing on things that are not acceptable, like closet doors:

Thankfully this one was in pencil...

You are getting old enough now to know when you are missing out on things the big kids get to do. Stay up late. Church activities. Ride bikes to friends' houses all by themselves. You want so much to do all the things right now. 

Stats at age 6: 3 ft. 9 in. (50%), 39 lbs (17%).

Your 'muchness' has levelled out a bit, but it's still there. Lots of big feelings that can shift in a moment. One day you'll be the one helping everyone clean up after dinner, the next you'll hide somewhere in the house until we force you to come clean.  You are charming and exhausting and a whirlwind of all things little girl. I'm so happy that you are thriving at school and getting your social bucket filled. 

Elise Navidad, you are just exactly what we need in this family. Thank you for your sunshine, your sparkles, and your vivaciousness. Now just slow down on this whole growing up thing, okay?

Elise's Six Year Old Interview

• Favorite color?
• "Pink. It's pretty."
• Favorite food?
• "Chocolate."
• Favorite dinner food?
• "Potstickers."
• Best friend?
• "Vivi, Claire, Freya, and Cate." (This was the first time I've ever heard of Cate).
• Favorite movie?
• "Mandalorian. (Not a movie). What's a movie? (Like 'Encanto'). Encanto!"
• Favorite toy?
• "The baby that glowed in the dark that I wanted but then people said it didn't glow in the dark. (How about a toy you actually own?) Uhh...American Girl doll."
• Game to play (no screens?)
• "Murder in the Dark." (Thanks, Uncle Timmy!)
• Game on a screen?
• "I don't know what any of them are called. Yes, Roblox."
• Favorite snack?
• "Yogurt."
• Favorite animal?
• "Kitten. It's so cute! And they're super furry. And soft."
• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• "A ballerina."
• Favorite song?
• "Encanto playlist. We Don't Talk About Bruno."
• Favorite Primary song?
• "What is it? (singing, doing some sign language) Try to be like Jesus. Yes, I'm Trying to be Like Jesus (continues singing)."
• Favorite book?
• "Let me see... (looks on bookshelf). Today I Will Fly!"
• Favorite school subject?
• "Plus. Math, adding."
• Favorite thing about your family?
• "That we love each other."
• Anything else?
• "I love my mommy. And...and, uh, my earrings are really pretty. And I draw good pictures."