My dear dear Emma,
I cannot believe that you are ten years old. We're talking double digits now! I'm asking myself where the past ten years have gone. I can instantly go back to the day you were born and never did I imagine then what you have become now.
You are demure. You truly have no idea how beautiful you are. You blush at the mere mention of it. I think you try to hide it. But the beauty is not all on the outside for you show yourself to be thoughtful, considerate and highly imaginative. If there is one thing I can point out this year that is most distinctive about you is the choice of words you sometimes use. You pepper your vocabulary with insightful words sometimes and it's surprising. You've unleashed a creative writing side of you that I couldn't be more proud of. I can't wait to read more.
I also have to add how silly you are. You guffaw. You try to act cooler when your friends are around. You linger sometimes too long it truly tries my patience. I think you should eat more. You love Dr. Pepper. I still catch you sucking your thumb. You like to say "Snap!" when something goes awry. You are cautious but willing to try new things. You are a homebody. I have to remind you to brush your hair. You won't wear a dress unless you have to. I love it that you can clean out the dishwasher now. You like to dig in the dirt. You like to experiement. You like to make GAWD awful fruit salad. I like your friends. You eat your peas and like asparagus. You love Harry Potter and you want to go to England, meet Danielle Radcliff and marry him. You carry that Harry Potter magic wand EVERYWHERE and then sometimes I find that I'm holding it for you. You dislike shopping for clothes. I wish you'd let me paint your fingernails. You still forget to flush. You are a little anal about schoolwork, but that's a good thing. You pick the pepperoni off your pizza --- sometimes you eat it, sometimes you don't. I find long division as frustrating as you do. You have beautiful freckles splashed across your nose. You wish that the cats would let you hold them. I had fun camping with you during Girl Scouts. You get annoyed with your sisters but love them dearly.
That's all that comes to mind now. That and how lucky I am to have such a sweet girl like you. I love you. Have a happy happy birthday.
Mom
(Still wishing you called me Mommy)