Every morning, sometime before sunrise, Tessa comes quietly into my room and rests her head on my stomach. “Mom?” she asks, “are we gonna stay home today?”
If the answer is yes, she’s excited. She asks for donuts, then curls up in a little ball in the space between me and the edge of the bed. She tells me a joke, usually about a chicken crossing the road, and then drifts back to sleep.
If the answer is no, it’s also received with excitement. She runs through the family list… “Are you gonna go to school? Is Daddy goin’ to school? Is Wauren? An’ Ewwie too?” and when she is satisfied that we’re all following the routine, she bounds off to find herself a big comfy dress for school and a morning TV show. She puts on her own clothes and shoes, and helps herself to whatever food she can easily reach in the kitchen.
At eight, Tessa is sweet and mostly shy, but a social butterfly at restaurants where she can greet each table with a wave and a booty shake. She loves her Barbies and Disney movies, cheese sticks, vanilla ice cream, pasta, hamburgers with pickles and ketchup, oversized t-shirts that she can stretch over her knees, listening to music, swimming in the tub, and practicing swear words with Lauren while they are tucked away in their bedroom together.
She doesn’t like to transition to school, but loves it once she is there. She adores her teachers and classmates, and they think she’s pretty awesome too. She processes her feelings by talking to her imaginary hand buddies, still hates when we sing happy birthday, and plans to be a queen when she grows up. We think she’ll make a good one. 😉
The other day, Tessa was home from school with a fever and just she and I got to spend our day together. We watched a movie that she picked, and then when I asked her what to put on next, she said, “weww, how ’bout we watch one of your favorites, Mom?!” She takes such good care of the people she loves.
Our sunshine girl is eight now, and we still can’t believe she’s ours. Our greatest adventure has been the most unexpected blessing that we never knew we needed. Happy, happy birthday to our sweet Tessa Lynn! We love you!
Yo soy La Lay 
Happy birthday 🎉 Tessa!!