Happy Birthday! It's hard to believe five years have gone by since you were born. Lately Daddy and I catch ourselves staring at you and thinking, wow. Desi is so big na. Especially now that we're growing your hair long, and no more bangs so your hair can be neater for ballet. You're getting taller, and more articulate, and also more graceful and lovely. You are a fun, funny, silly five year old girl!
Your fifth birthday party was as per your specifications. You asked for a swimming party at Ninang Michelle's house (which is why the whole week before your party, workers were busy fixing and cleaning the pool, just in time for your party), you wanted Little Mermaid invitations and a Little Mermaid cake. You wanted to serve spaghetti, hotdogs and marshmallows on sticks, and fried chicken, and you wanted all your classmates and friends to be there. Unfortunately, your birthday fell on Maundy Thursday this year, so I texted all your classmates mommies a month in advance to ask if they will be out of town for Holy Week. Fortunately, most of them assured me they could send their kids to your party, which we held on Holy Tuesday. Everyone had great fun swimming in the pool, playing in the TV room, eating cake and playing with your presents, which you generously shared even if they were still brand new. You also asked for a birthday dinner with the family. So Daddy called Active fun and Fridays in Boni High Street two days early to make sure they were open on your birthday. They were, and again, you got what you wanted. You even got to choose a present at the toy store, for Daddy to buy, which you proudly showed me when I arrived for dinner. "Mommy! I got a ukeleylee!" You LOVE your little red ukulele. You love being the birthday girl. And we were happy to grant your wishes on your special day.
This was your last year in the village small school. During my last PTC with Teacher Anne, she showed me how you got all perfect scores for every single item on your report card! All except one, which is to put the correct shoes or socks on the correct feet! Which is so funny! You are advanced compared to most kids your age when it comes to reading and writing and numbers and concepts. Teacher Anne and I know that sometimes you pretend not to know things, like you tell me you don't know how to read, but if no one is watching, you take some of Ate Lia's old books and sit in a corner and read by yourself. I think you will do very well in big school next June. Sometimes you are excited about it, other times you seem a bit scared. But I feel confident that once you have your new uniform, and new school things, you will love your new teacher and make many great new friends. Did I mention that you were last year's UN Ambassador for Peace in you JK section? It means you are good and kind to your friends and I can tell when I see you with them that they all love you very much. You're going to do just great.
Something we are still learning to deal with together, is your penchant for drama. You are quite the drama princess. In Filipino, you are pikon. One minute, you're playing nicely with your siblings, and then the next second you violently protest at the littlest slight and whine or cry or walk away. What generally works is to allow you to be by yourself for a few minutes, or even a longer time, just play in your room or watch TV in another room, and soon you're ready to join the other kids again. Sometimes, when we talk about how you're feeling, you are able to tell me what is bothering you. Like one time, just after our bedtime prayers, you didn't want to go to your room with Ate Lia, instead you stayed a few minutes in our room and suddenly you cried. When I asked why, you said you didn't want to go to big school next year anymore, because you will miss your classmates. You felt better when I told you that most of the girls in your class are going to the same big school as you, and the boys won't be in your old small school anymore either. We remembered together all the great things about big school and you felt better. I think, my dear, you are quite sensitive, and feel deeper and harder, maybe than Daddy and me, who are not, or try not to be very emotional. Being emphatic and sympathetic can be difficult, but it can also be a gift. We will both have to learn how to deal with your emotions together, as you grow up. Hopefully you can grow up to be stronger, and I can learn to be the person you trust and rely on when you don't feel strong at all.
The flip side to your drama-rama, is your super kengkoyness. Lately your favorite thing to do is ruin family photos. I have piles and piles of family photos, where everyone is smiling nicely and looking at the camera, even Ramon, and you have your eyes closed, or your tongue out, or doing something silly! The whole Mantaring clan did a special photo session in St. Ignatius and there was NOT A SINGLE clan photo that you were nicely posed. Which is why, in the Angkan, everyone is smiling, and you have your hands covering your face, right in the very center of the photo, in your white dress, while everyone else is in red or green. It is simultaneously very funny and very annoying. But mostly funny, cause you're small and cute so you can get away with it. On the other hand, your solo photos always have the best poses! Bright smiles, fancy arabesque, pointing to the sky! I don't even have to tell you to pose. And when we were in Hong Kong Disneyland, you and I were always being left behind because we would stop and you would ask me to take photos of you at one spot or another. We are going to have so many awesome photos of you for your 18th birthday or wedding, when we get to show everyone an AVP of your childhood. We can't wait!
I love you my dearest darling Desi! How you start every conversation with, "Mommy, I have something to tell you..." How you always have to kiss AND hug me when I have to leave the house, how you can't stand to see Ramon cry, so you always end up giving him the toy you are playing with. You are a good girl, and you will grow up to be an exceptional woman. Happy 5 years old, my sweetheart.
I love you very very much!
Love,
Mommy
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