Last night, we got miss Riley down to bed at 7:00 and quickly got to work for her birthday (today!)

For years, Riley has been begging us for a Barbie Dream House. And for years, I’ve kind of ignored the request because seriously — have you looked at the price tag on one of them?!

I know — kinda wild. Who wants to spend nearly $200 on a plastic monstrosity of a dollhouse? Especially when I’d already gotten her a beautiful one when she was little from Pottery Barn… it even has “Roses” on the front of it. But guess what? She never plays with it. Currently, it’s in our storage because I refuse to get rid of it. If we ever do have more children, I’m confident one of them will love it as much as I do! Anyway, I asked my parents if they would be game to split the cost with me to get her the house and they said yes! While it is pretty ridiculous in size, it’s pretty fun! She now has a fun place to play with all the Barbies and accessories she already has!

After the house was assembled, I decided to write her a card, which ultimately turned into more of a letter. My little girl is five-years-old and I did my best to pour my heart into simple terms that I knew she would appreciate and understand. I’m confident that at age five, she understands when her mom wants her to know something special.

I’ll be honest when I say that parenthood is tough — and so interesting all at the same time. It’s hard to give them positive reinforcement when they are annoying, whiny and legitimately manipulative (all the time). But then there are the moments when her bravery and maturity shine bright when she’s holding it all together and acting like the big girl I know she is. The thing is, I tell Riley I love her all the time but I’m not sure how often I tell her why.

Riley is beautiful, yes she is. But she’s not just a pretty face. She is smart and kind and creative and silly.

I know, most kids probably are most of those things. I was never the mom to think I’m raising some sort of genius or some superior human being. From the beginning, it’s always been my priority to guide her to be independent and always show kindness to others. If you ask Riley what our house rule is, she will tell you, “Be kind.”

Riley is a social butterfly, which totally surprised me this year as she’s come out of her shell. I remember at her parent-teacher conferences last year that she was pretty shy and kept to herself a lot. However, this year, I’ve been told she’s absolutely flourishing socially — the first to raise her hand at circle, and has a solid group of friends she plays with every day. She is confident and fun. She sees the good in everyone. She listens to people and remembers their names. She treats them with kindness. She loves her friends like family.

Riley has an open and honest heart. When she’s done something “naughty”, she comes up to me with the saddest little eyes and says, “I didn’t do anything!” She can’t keep anything from me, haha! I’m sure this will change when she’s a teenager but for now, I’ll soak it up!

It’s who she has always been.

I knew last night that when Riley opens her presents today, she would say, “Mommy, you’re the best mommy in the whole wide world!” I was right. I knew that I’d hug her tight and whisper in her ear, “You are my favorite little girl and I love you to the moon and back.”

I know this might not seem like such a profound statement since we are the only Riley and Mommy each other has got, but to me it means that no matter what Riley is doing— being a total joy and love or having a meltdown over breakfast before school because we ran out of cocoa puffs— it will always be 100% true.