You turned 5 on August 23. I can't believe it. I missed your birthday because I had to fly home for Grandma's funeral, so we celebrated early, on the 22nd. You didn't seem to notice the difference. When I wished you a happy birthday over the phone on the 23rd you said, "But my birthday was yesterday!" You are 42in/172cm tall. You are beautiful and perfect. You woke up early and I gave you your birthday puzzle which you immediately did. You are so good at puzzles. We had given you a bike for your birthday a few days earlier, so that was your big present. We took you to Bar Bar with the family for breakfast, and we bought you some roses. I made you a cake (Christmas cake, but, again, you didn't seem to mind). We had Doc McStuffins and Sofia the First decorations. We played pin the band-aids on the ouchy from Doc McStuffins. You didn't want to get started until Nora got there. Jim and Phyllis came and Nora and her family. We sang "Happy Birthday" and you cut your own cake. You got a new set of colored pencils from Jim and Phyllis and a pink stuffed puppy and stickers and a Cinderella coloring book from the Straders. You had a card from Mimi and a card and necklace from Cindy and a stroller from Mimimo. We all had fun eating cake together, drinking tea, and celebrating you. You had also had a party at school earlier, before the term ended because you wanted to share cake with all your classmates. You wanted soccer ball cup cakes, so I did my best! You also insisted on wearing your princess Fiona dress to school that day.
You say "peejamies" for pajamas. You call Amani "oomani." You love Oscar so much but can't seem to stop calling him "Alex." You used to say "chapa wewe" when you got frustrated with someone. It was cute at first but then we had to put a stop to it. At a church service the minister was talking about the Kenyan and American flag, and you asked Jen, "which flag is mine?... what's the difference?" You think about things very thoroughly and you want to know and understand. You and AJ had balloons and she popped hers, and you immediately gave her yours. You are just now starting to kick the afternoon nap, but you still need it sometimes. Every night before bed we have to do "books and songs and lay." As I'm leaving the room when you are sleeping you always say, "can you bring us some water and check on us?" When you were at Mimimo's house and we were trying to put you to bed the sun was still out because the summer days in America are longer than in Kenya. You said, "but Mimimo, it's not dark!" in your perfect little Kenyan accent!
You are in the Rhino class at school. This is your last year of kindergarten. You are the youngest in your class but you do very well and love your friends. You are a joy.
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