June 20th

I love being apart of a group that motivates you to who you said you would be! Today’s post is prompted by the Girl Boss, Javacia arris Bowser of See Jane Write. She recently blogged about not having writer’s block and how simple it can be to write about the things you are into right now. Today is my niece’s 5th birthday, and I’m all into it!

I get excited about birthdays in general. There’s no reason not to celebrate life, another opportunity to do and be, and of course, eat cake! Being a preschool teacher, I always look forward to the 5th birthday so I can say, “You’re a whole hand now!” In my eyes, 5 means you’re a big kid now! But of course, my niece is special. She is the reason that every child above the age of 2 at our school knows me at “TeeTee” instead of Ms. Valerie!

Now that my Gracie is five (a whole hand). I reflect on the fact that she is unique in so many ways.

• She only knows my life the way it currently is. She knows nothing of me being a child, going off to college, making so many mistakes, or even being something other than a teacher. She only knows that every morning she can knock on my door to see if I’m awake and every evening she can come in to tell me goodnight and say, “Te Amo!”
• She is the most singest child I have ever met. If she hears a song once, she does her best to sing all of the words but then just makes up those she doesn’t know. BUT if it is a song she enjoys, she will bellow it out (especially in the bathroom) until the song is also stuck in your head.
• She is very particular about people’s belongings. Sharing is not a foreign idea but if she sees you with something that she knows belongs to someone else, you had better make sure to have asked for it first!
• She has the tiniest voice, the most chocolate skin, the most gorgeous eyes, and the brightest smile of any 5-year-old girl hands down!
• She knows no strangers. She is friendlier and bolder than I ever was!
• Because she is the only child in the house, she also thinks she’s an adult (insert eye roll). I believe she cringes inside each time she hears, “you are only a child!”
• The day I became an aunt was one of the most emotional days I have ever experienced. I was happy, excited, nervous, cautious, anxious, overwhelmed, tired, but endured no contractions, labor pains, and the like.

She’s the best! She makes me tired yet pushes me to do and be more. So happy birthday, Naomi Grace! Naomi Grace! Gracie! Gracie! Gracie! Gracie! Grace! Grace! Grace!!!!! My little brown girl …