Dear Mitzi Joy...

 Dear Mitzi Joy,

5 Today! No way! FIVE? Hey? Five years old, today! From chubby big blue ostrich-eyed baby, to you, gorgeous, scrumptious Mitzi moo.

You arrived at a stressful time in our lives, but out of that stress came the decision to move to France, to bring you all up in France, a better life, the ‘Good Life’. When you were 5 weeks old, Lola 16 months and Monty a bit more than 2-and-a-half, dad and I made the decision ‘if we do not move now, we never will’. And it was you coming along that made us decide that, when you were 7 weeks old, we moved to France.

Now, nearly 5 years on, mummy and daddy are nearly both working  and our lives are stressful, but incredible. We are so very blessed to have all you kids, and you are our joy, our very own 5 year old little Mitzi Joy!

Your name means ‘Beloved unexpected gift’…and as you were a little surprise (!) We loved the original name and the meaning was so befitting. Your second name was your Granny's (my mum's mum) so you were named after your great granny, ‘Joy’. You were nothing but joy and happiness (even though you never slept as a baby, and still do not very well!). You still are, your laugh creases me up, such a gaffaw, such a distinctive laugh, it is contagious, and people listening/looking at us can not help but to laugh too (hearing your laugh, not AT us…).

I am pleased to say that your eyelashes are now growing back. You decided a few weeks ago this was one of the BEST ideas you had ever had, to ‘hairdress’ your eyelashes. I am not surprised, I have never seen longer ones to be fair, they tickle your eyebrows! You are a stunning little girl, with a physique that no one can believe. You are insanely strong, acrobatic, climby, ‘watch me’y, and you have reason, you can do some pretty damn clever things. Over the last 5 years you have grown (although not much in height!) in spirit, in your love for adventure, your ‘testing the boundaries’ just to see where you can go…Will you always be the same? You are never deliberately naughty, but your explorative nature catches you out at times.

Mitzi Joy, I wanted to tell you something here and now, you are an amazing girl, beautiful (and not just on the inside) you are sharp, witty, clever, all of these, easily and naturally. I see your need for attention, and see you lack confidence at times. In your report at the end of last school year, your teacher remarked (again) that you needed to express yourself to your friends, if you do not want them to take something of yours, tell them. As I see it, it is, some of it, due to  circumstances, it’s been challenging (amazing, but challenging) being brought up in a foreign country, starting school not speaking the same language. You have pushed yourself the whole way, and I am in awe of your determination as a person. I encourage you to (instead of crying and walking off upset) to ‘tell them what YOU want/don’t want to do’ to ‘stand up for yourself’ because, in this life my angel, you are going to have to. You are getting better at it, and I am here to help and direct that and encourage you in this.

You walked across a big carpark at 10 months old, you just got up and did it, I stood there like a wally wooping and cheering, desperately looking round for someone else who had seen to share in my enthusiasm. I am afraid I shall probably always be the mummy that does that! You put your mind to something Mitzi, and you DO it. I have watched you going from walking, to running and jumping in weeks. To climbing trees SO high, a dude with a ladder had to come and get you down.

You taught your self to roly poly-to skip-to do handstands-to flip over doing a handstand-to cartwheel. And I assure you, each new thing YOU teach YOURSELF, it’s all you sweetheart, your will power, your skill and your enthusiasm for all that is physical. You have taught yourself too to whistle, at the age of 4 (!) and click your fingers, ride your bike with no ‘little wheels’ again, at 4-years-old. You are highly competitive, but not in the sense that you get in people’s faces, cause hurt and are determined to ‘win’. It’s more a very quiet, competitiveness, observing and appreciating other’s talents, and working out how to emanate them. This I really admire, it’s a strong, rare quality sweetheart, and you will bloom if you maintain this unique, gentle attitude.

I wonder what the future holds for you my angel? I cannot tell you how much I love you, it’s not possible to put it in words, pictures, poems or prose. I try and show you, but sometimes I am tired, I shout, I get it wrong, I scold when I shouldn’t; your sensitive disposition is upset by this at times.

I am sorry for all these times, the times I get, or may get it wrong, the times you feel I do not understand you. I am me, all I can do is my ‘fallible human being’ best, and I will apologise when you feel I have done something wrong.

Mitzi, seize the opportunities, LOVE life, engross yourself in all that is good, follow God’s path with everlasting faith, grit your teeth and put your head down, and brace the storms when you have to, because I am afraid no one is protected from life, and life, although incredible, is HARD sometimes too.

I wish I could keep you beside me always, my perfect little ostrich-eyed angel, my joy, one of my reasons for living.

You are a wonderful, kind, spirited, generous adorable girl Mitzi Joy. I am exceptionally proud to be your mother, me, little me, I am YOUR mummy! Wow, I am lucky. My devotion to you knows no boundaries, my love no limits, my soul, was, from the minute you started to grow in my womb, entwined with yours.

Mitzi with Esmie...

Plunge into life with your determination, your generosity of spirit, your courage and your strength my baby, and you cannot go far wrong.

I love you Mitzi Joy,

Happy 5th Birthday!

Love form Mummy xxxxxxx