Night owl ballerina skiier

My lovely Echo,

Almost every night you go on a pilgrimage, climbing the steep steps to the master bedroom, carrying your pillow, sippy cup and the stuffy of the night. You rest your cup on the bed stand, and climb over me. Positioning your pillow between my pillow and dad's, you stay until the morning. You push, you turn, and ask for your water multiple times. Eventually you sleep, as I struggle to do the same with your arms and legs wiggling on me. But sometimes, I fall back to sleep like nothing happened.

Sometimes I hear you stump up the stairs. Sometimes I sleep so deep that I notice you only when you climb over me. If I sound like I'm complaining, you're wrong. I love it when you come up. Once in a while on weekends, and always if you have a cold, I scoop you from your bed in your sleep, and bring you up with me. Next day, I tell you about it - how I missed you and wanted to be close to you and how I took you in my arms in your sleep, and climbed the stairs to cuddle all night. Now that you have heard this story a few times, when I put you to bed at night, you ask me to carry you upstairs with me when it's time for me to go to bed. Whether I do it or not, you find your own way anyway.

You started ballet! When I brought up ballet, you got very excited about the idea, so I took you to a ballet studio to give it a try, and you loved it! The session started back in September. So I wasn't sure you were going to adjust, joining the other girls so late in the year. Then I watched you through the window - you were laser focused on your teacher, watching how she moves her legs and feet, and imitating her. Clearly you were having fun.  Last week your first performance. We all went as a family to watch you perform, like we used to with Zoe when she was a little ballerina. Zoe didn't want to miss your performance, so papa picked her up a little early from school so she can see her little sister dance.

Since it's winter, we started going to the snow again once in a while. I quit my job before the holidays, so we can't go skiing often anymore, but you love sledging too. "Again!" "Again!" you scream as you reach the bottom of a hill. You like skiing, but only on the "big mountains." The time we went skiing, I took you to the bunny slope to do the magic carpet while papa took Zoe up the ski lift. After a few runs, you asked about papa and Zoe. When you understood what they were up to, you protested. "I want to go to the big mountains!" you cried. We didn't have a ski pass for me, so I couldn't take you anywhere but the magic carpet. You were sad and I was sad. Papa took you up a few times with him while Zoe took a hot coco break. This made you feel better. I might be getting a new job soon. As a celebration, we are going skiing, and everyone gets a ski pass! I will take you to the big mountains this week!

Love,

Mommy.