Seven. A letter to Sofia on her seventh birthday.

To Sofia,
My fake nail loving, nutbrown hare sucking, YouTube addicted, always room for an extra crisp, tat hoarding, darling daughter.
Today you turn seven, and what a wild ride the past seven years have been for us.
You started off as a chunky little purple faced newborn (total doppelganger to Phil Mitchell after a booze binge)  handed to me in the hospital and you’ve turned into the most wonderful little person. By that I mean, you haven’t turned into a sozzled Phil Mitchell yet – maybe that will come in next years birthday instalment?
You’re a real tale of two halves; you’re sensitive, loving, scared of your own shadow, a worrier. But you’re also independent, sassy, a complete wind up to your brother and outgoing in so many ways.
Seeing you grow over the last year in particular has been amazing – and boy have we spent a lot of time together over the last year (thanks covid). I’ve not only been your mummy, but I’ve also been drafted in as your emergency supply teacher. I really worried about you having so much time away from school in Y1 and having to return again, to a new kind of place from what you once knew;  but after six months of being by my side you just strolled in and left me crying at the door. You absolutely smashed it kiddo. And I know you’ll do the same when you re-start again, whenever that will be!
You revel in attention and none more so than playing at the park after school. Hearing your friends scream ‘Sofia, Sofia‘ as you run over to them excited to hang from the monkey bars, or get involved in a game of tag will forever be one of my favourite sounds. That and listening to you chatting to your friends on Facetime (sorry kid, I’m always listening!)
You’re quiet and shy until you get to know people – you’re that kid that will be a mute and just stare. Lucky for you, you’ve got a younger brother now who hasn’t learnt about social awkwardness yet so you’ll often push him into situations so you can follow in behind, using him as your safety blanket. He’s also not scared to go upstairs at home by himself either, don’t think we can’t hear you bribing him to go up there with you when you’re asked to get your pyjamas on!
Your school work has made us so so proud this year, something has just clicked and you have suddenly come on leaps and bounds – you’re enjoying learning and after a few years of not really being interested, you’re asking me to do more (usually when it involved gold stars and lots of ticks) and for me, especially in this latest lockdown it has made me life so much easier.

I love watching you sit and figure things out, or how your imagination creates stories and interprets things in ways that I would never see.

You can do absolutely no wrong in your brothers eyes. Even if he is playing quietly with Lego and you crash in and break it down. He seems to hold big grudges with me and daddy, but for you it’s all forgotten in an instant.
You & Arlo have definitely got closer this year. I love hearing you whisper to each other at night or come downstairs in the morning to see you cuddled up on the sofa watching some rubbish on Netflix together. Recently you’ve turned into puddle jumping champs together too. You’re attention span is short. Soz kid, you got that from me.
Considering your horrendous start in life with sleep (or total lack of it), you soon made up for it. Now you’re asleep within 2 minutes of your head hitting the pillow – all sweaty wrapped in blankets and fleeces with nutbrown never far from your grasp. You always want a late night, but can rarely make it past 9pm.
You’ve lost two teeth now. You like the gold coins but don’t want the tooth fairy touching you, so the pot gets left on your chest of drawers (which makes it a lot easier for the ‘fairy’ to get in/out unscathed)

• You still love LOL dolls.
• You’ve got a new obsession with Our Generation dolls, and we need to remortgage the house to fulfil it.
• You love a costa – typical order belgian chocolate frostino, or a mint hot chocolate.
• You love taking up a challenge. Ask you to do something. Answer will be ‘No’. Tell you we’ve got a challenge. Answer ‘Where do I sign up?’
• You’re unhealthily addicted to watching American families on YouTube.
• You’ve become my best lockdown walking buddy “come on mummy we have to do 10,000 steps today”
• Your love for make up, glitter and stick on nails is something to be rivalled.
• You love a snack, I’ve never known a small person to eat so much (nanny’s convinced you’ve got prader willi, LOLS).

We can’t wait for the next seven years with you Sofia Belle – keep shining, our little superstar.
To space and back,
Mummy xox