Dear Arabella,

SEVEN!

For the past three years, I cannot believe your age...you're an actual, real, big kid...no more baby...not much little...seven just sounds so grown!

This past year has been so much fun because you have grown so much!  You are so beautiful.  Your daddy and I can hardly handle it.  

Let me tell you something, little girl.  You are a sassy little seven year old!  Most of this, however, is confidence, and that's a trait I'm so proud you have.  You know what you want to do and how you want to do it.  

School brought some big changes for our little family and it was amazing to see how much you learned in so little time.  You are reading like an absolute champ!  At the end of the school year, you were doing well and reading easy books, but you were still sounding out words and needing some help.  We did the summer program at the library and we read every night before bed--and at some point during the summer, you just took off!  It was incredible.  Now you're reading billboards and street signs and notes and anything you see.  You've even read several chapter books on your own!  You've moved up very quickly through the AR (accelerated reader) levels at your school.  But most importantly--you simply love to read!  I hope with all of my heart that you never lose that love.  

You also lost your first two teeth this year (bottom front)!  The first one was eating dinner with Aunt Mel at Popeye's on the way to the Polar Express' second was wrestling on the ground with Papa a few weeks later.  You were pumped!  And now you have four more loose ones...

Speaking of school, you were placed in the advanced class for first grade (challenge class) and also selected as part of the G/T program (top 5% of your grade)!  Your memory is amazing and you love to ask questions to figure things out.  We've fought our way through a few homework problems...but for the most part you do it all on your own.  Daddy and I are incredibly proud of you and love seeing you work so hard and challenge yourself!

Daddy surprised you this year for Christmas and gave you your own pair of waders to go duck hunting!  He has been looking forward to bringing you hunting since the day you were born.  We all decided you were ready this year--you loved it!  Waking up early, sitting in the cold--didn't bother you a bit.  You came home one time with blood on your pants and I crinkled my nose.  You said, "what mom?  It's just blood.  Ducks bleed when you shoot them.  It's not a big deal."  Oh my...  Daddy also let you bring the BB gun one time and helped you shoot.  Well that convinced you that you shot down two of those ducks (especially when daddy showed you the bb's in the duck)!  You were unbelievably proud of that.  

The necessary post-hunt nap :)

As much as you liked hunting, I think you like fishing even more.  You will still go out all day on the boat with daddy and are continually becoming quite the little fisherman.  He brought you out just past the jetties this summer (just past the jetties) and y'all caught a bunch of Spanish Mackerel--daddy caught 2, but you caught 7!  And he said you caught them all by yourself (needing a little help reeling in two bigger ones)!  On the way back in during that trip, y'all were even able to catch a shark!!  You had really hoped to catch a shark that day because it was Shark Week, haha...well you did--about a 5 foot long one!  

You played softball again this year (coach pitch this time).  Daddy helped coach again--seeing you two work together out on that field brought such joy to my mama heart.  Your brothers and I cheered you on at every game!  You mostly played third base and did really well--you also got some really good hits in and scored several times!  This fall, you started ballet.  You've wanted to take dance for a while now, so we finally got that started.  So far, you're really enjoying it and have learned several positions and dance moves.  Of course, you're absolutely precious is your ensemble for class!

Costumes...I am still waiting for the day that you outgrow your love for costumes.  The obsession started at three, and while you don't wear them as often as you did, it's still a 3-4 times/week occurrence.  You play all kinds of imagination games with your brothers (family, Full House, animals, superheroes, etc.) and those of course require a girl dressed to play the part!  You can wear those costumes as long as you want to, sweet girl--keep imagining!

One of the highlights of this year was going on a Disney Cruise with Mimi and Papa (and all of our family on that side)!  We had SO much fun!  You absolutely loved the beach and practicing your swimming with Aunt Chelle.  We also got to swim with a dolphin in the Bahamas!  It was amazing!  The water was freeeeezing, so that made it a little difficult for you to participate (and your lips were turning purple by the time we got out...), but you loved getting to interact with the dolphin.  I think your favorite part of the cruise though (besides the banana ice cream...yuuummmm) was going to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!  Aunt Mel and I brought you and KK after dinner one night to get all pampered before the show.  You were absolutely stunning.  Stunning.  The whole staff onboard treated you like princesses for the rest of the night, which you two ate up every bit of.  Such a magical experience!

You have always loved playing games since you were old enough to learn  But you have become a competitive little card shark this year!  It started with UNO and Spoons (you're straight vicious!), but has morphed into Cadillac, Speed, Battle, and Nertz.  You and I play cards every afternoon that we can squeeze in a couple of games--it's one of our favorite things to do together!   I'll help you a little bit, but I don't ever "let" you win.  You also love playing cards with your cousins, especially at the camp. 

Something else I say every year (and hope it never changes) is how much you love music!  You're still a really big fan of TobyMac (specifically 'Til the Day I Die) and are about to go see him in concert for the third time!  Some of your other favorite songs right now are God is on the Move, Fix My Eyes, Deep Cries Out, Alive.  You also love Louisiana Saturday Night <3  You know most/all of the words to so many songs, and even at school, the songs are your favorite part!  

Your brothers are your very best friends.  They drive you absolutely crazy and mess up all your stuff--but you love them so much.  Landry loves meeting you in the afternoon to get off the bus (he literally squeals when he sees you!).  Kaplan loves being your little sidekick and playing all sorts of imagination/character games.  The three of you run all over this house and the yard, chasing each other and giggling nonstop.  You all have such fun together and are a perfect little squad.  

I am so excited and anxious to see how much more you grow and learn and change this year.  Your daddy and I are whole-heartedly obsessed with who you are and we will always be your biggest supporters.  Keep enjoying life and finding giggles every single day. 

Arabella, you are our treasured gift; our first baby and only daughter; and I promise that we will always love you more than you will ever know.

Happy birthday, my sweets!  xoxo, mama

Dear Kaplan,

FOUR!

I don't know who told you that it was ok for you to turn four.  That's just too grown up and I don't think I approve...

In all honesty though, I am truly loving watching you grow up!  You are such a fun little kid with a spunky personality.  Your wit and charm are almost too much to handle (especially combined with your "New Orleans mixed with Boston" accent--no clue where that came from, but I love it).  

Probably my favorite thing you do started last year, but you've continued it full force.  You come up to me and dad and with either a wink or a hug, say, "you're my favorite mom/dad".  We always respond, "you're my favorite Kap".  It's random and perfect every single time.

You are still such a little snuggle bug (and have been from day one)!  Sometimes you just need some physical touch, which means we get lots of hugs and kisses and cuddles.  So ok with that. 

In January this year, you had to have some pretty major dental work done.  We discovered a few months before then that none of your molars had enamel on them (daddy and I had noticed something was up as soon as your teeth came in--but the dentist confirmed it was no enamel).  This meant your teeth were literally crumbling and could cause major problems since you would still have them for a long time (even though they're baby teeth).  We had to bring you to a Pediatric Dentist (Dr. McQuade--we loved her) and get nine crowns put on.  I dreaded that day for a long time...  You did so well through the whole process, but it was pretty awful.  It took three days before you would do anything without me holding you and you couldn't eat much for a while either.  Now though, you're great and love showing people your "new teeth"!

You pay attention to so many details.  When you retell a story or an event, it always amazes me all the little things you remember and point out, step by step.  And you talk...a lot.  

Daddy is still your main man and favorite adventure partner (even though you will always be a mama's boy!).  You don't miss many opportunities to go out on the boat/side by side or to the camp/lease or to work on something in the shop/yard.  If dad's going, so are you. When he was framing up and leveling dirt to build his shop, you stayed out there all day long using a full shovel to help spread the dirt.  You go and go until the job is done (or until you've got absolutely nothing left). 

Daddy also brought you hunting for the first time this year!  You were so excited--even though it poured down rain on y'all.  They only killed one duck, but you're convinced you're the one who shot it (even though you didn't even shoot a gun, haha!).  You've also gotten to go froggin' and catch a huge mess of fish out there.  Little outdoorsman in the making, for sure.  

We also went on a Disney cruise this year (with Mimi and Papa and family) and you LOVED it!  You soaked in every bit of fun and food and family you could and have been begging to go back since the minute we got off the ship!  You loved playing in the waves at the edge of the beach.  We also got to swim with a dolphin!  You were very uncomfortable with this at first and latched onto me like a leech (it didn't help that the water was freeeeeezing); but by the end you were petting and feeding him and absolutely enjoying yourself!  So much fun.

Since Bella is in school now, it's just you and Landry during the day.  You two have become best buddies.  You wrestle and play ball and race cars and chase each other around the house.  The giggles are endless!  Don't get me wrong, y'all fight like cats and dogs (it's a major power struggle...); but you also love each other so well.  

That being said, both of your favorite part of the day is when Bella comes home!  She always adds another dimension to the fun (and the noise).  The three of you have SO much fun together.  

One night as you and Bella were racing from the back door to daddy's chair, y'all got tangled up and you fell into the side of the chair.  You screamed a very different scream and cried for a while.  But since it was bed time and i could move your arm, I figured it was just bruised and put you to bed.  You woke up a ridiculous amount of times that night and always told me through tears, "I can't find my sleeping spot..."  The next morning you were still babying it, and when you swung into daddy on accident and screamed bloody murder, I finally decided to take you to Urgent Care.  Sure enough--buckle fracture in your wrist.  They put a splint on for the weekend and you got a cast the next week. You had to wear it for three weeks (in the middle of summer!), but thankfully they were able to give you a water proof one.  You loved letting all of your people sign it :)

I know I say it every year, but you absolutely love music.  This is another area where your memory just amazes me.  You can hear a song one or two times and know most of the words.  You sing along with the radio in the car and can recognize daddy's "boat songs" anytime you hear one while we're out and about.  You have so many favorites right now, but to name a few:  Spill the Wine, Deep Cries Out, Fix My Eyes, Louisiana Saturday Night, God is on the Move, and Get Back up Again (really, anything by TobyMac).  You still also love to dance and will boogie woogie anytime you hear a good beat!

Every night at bed time, you each get to pick a song for us to sing.  You alternate between Take Me Out to the Ball game and Louisiana Tech's Alma Mater...  We were so excited to bring you to Tech this year now that you're old enough to really participate and understand.  Plus, we were so looking forward to you singing the Alma Mater with us at the game.  You held your finger high and sang every word.  It was one of our favorite moments yet!  #everloyalbe

You're still learning of course--and you are getting very impatient to go to school with Bella...  The biggest thing you learned this year I think it how to spell your name!  KAP--LAN  We're still working on learning how to write it, but you have learned how to write several letters (E, L, I, H, O, and a few more).  You love to color and draw; you'll sit at the bar for hours with your box of crayons and a stack of paper drawing everything you can think of. Playing ball is still probably your favorite thing ever.  You have a good little arm and pretty amazing aim for a tiny human.  You're so looking forward to playing t-ball in the spring!  

You are super friendly and make friends easily.  You've started getting scared of a lot of things (daddy and I are fighting through that pretty fiercely), but you're not shy (sometimes moody, but not shy...) One of my favorite stories:  Aunt Pat asked you for a hug and you told her, "not yet".  So she asked for one a few minutes later and you said, "just give me some time."  Haha!  That's our new catch phrase for you...and it's so true.  Sometimes, you just need a little time, and that's perfectly ok. 

You're such a fun little ball of energy and have added such spunk to our family!  I never want to forget your grin and your giggle, your unbelievably sweet snuggles, your tender concern for other people.  You'll always be our favorite Kap ;)  

Your daddy and I will fight for you, protect you, teach you, and love you every single day of our lives.  You will always be our precious, perfect son; our second baby; our beautiful, blessed gift. 

Happy birthday, sweet boy!  I love you more than you will ever know.

xoxo, mama