Scarlett Jane is Six

--> Scarlett just oozes goodness and kindness and wisdom. Her kindergarten and first grade teachers cannot sing her praises enough. Her teacher's aid pulled me aside at the end of the school year with tears in her eyes and said, "Scarlett is such a leader, but not in a pushy sense. Everyone is drawn to her because they know she loves them." Oh my heart. She is extremely creative and artistic and she never tires of it. She has always been one to color and scribble, but the stuff she can draw now is really impressive. Sometimes it isn't the piece itself that is amazing, but the hours of uninterrupted effort she put into it. She gets in the zone and it is hard to pry her from it when we need to go somewhere or you know...eat. 
Here are some sweet and funny things she has said since her 5th birthday.

September 17
"Mom, I am going to write a book about what does love really mean."

October 13
Scarett: Hey look, Dad! Wedgies! 
Jordan: You mean emojis?

December 6
*Watching The Grinch (1966 version) with the girls.*
Scarlett: He is really mean. 
Me: Yep. 
*A few minutes later.*
Scarlett: Seriously Mom. He is doing really bad things. 
Me: I know, Honey. It's okay. It has a good ending. 
Scarlett: Oh. Does he die?

December 15 
While watching Three Men And a Little Lady, I said "Don't you think Sylvia is so pretty? That's where I got the idea for our Sylvia's name." And she said, "Yeah, but that man is REALLY pretty." Referring to Tom Selleck.

December 29
My sweet Scarlett. Always trying to see the best in people--even the most terrifying antagonist in children's literature:
"Miss Trunchbull is a TINY bit nice. She let that boy eat a WHOLE chocolate cake!"

In October, she ran 2.5 miles for her school Race for Education fundraiser.

February 10
Scarlett's prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for this world and thank you for creating the people and thank you that most of us survived today and were safe. Thank you for our house and school and for birthdays. Please bless that we will have a good breakfast and a good Saturday."

February 11
"I think my favorite letter is starting to be Y. Yeah. I really like Y."

February 21
Scarlett joined me tonight for a service project where we sewed feminine hygiene bags for girls in impoverished countries. She called that spot her "office" and her job was to cut off all the excess string on the bags. Afterward she talked about the warm feeling in her heart because she helped people.

March 19
*After staring at her and admiring her*
Mom: You're so pretty, Scar. 
Scar: Thanks. But it's most important to have a pretty heart. 

April 2
I promised the girls we would make cookies sometime today and starting before breakfast they have been begging for them. Scarlett keeps asking and I told her we can't have cookies for breakfast and she said, "But moooom! I can already taste them in my mouth!"

April 12
I heard someone yelling "Mommy!" from the bathroom and totally subconsciously I walked in and started wiping Scarlett's butt. Turned out she was just playing with her dolls and one of the doll children was calling for their mommy and she looked up at me and she said, "Whoa. Mom. I can wipe myself." 

May 1
My sister told me about amazing online piano lessons. I asked Scarlett if she wanted to do the first lesson and see if she felt ready to start piano lessons. After the first lesson, she did really well and she was really excited about it and I told her I would pay for the official lessons only if she was ready to commit to practicing every day. She said yes and I asked her to go grab my wallet for me. Later while we were printing the worksheets, she came up to me and said "Mom. When I was going to get your wallet, I was feeling scared that I wasn't ready for this. So I said a prayer that God would tell me if it was right and I knew He would answer me. I was hoping He would answer me before I got the wallet, but He didn't. I was feeling nervous after you paid for it, but right now I have such a happy feeling and I know that I am ready and that He answered me!"  

June 11
Scarlett: (holding a picture of me and my sisters) Mom do you have FOUR sisters? 
Me: Yes and four brothers
S: Whoa! Grandma Patti had a lot of babies. There had to be twins. 
M: Nope! (I then listed all of their names ending with myself) 
S: So you're the youngest? 
Me: Yes. 
S: So you're the youngest and I'm the oldest! That means I'm smarter than you. 

July 14
Snuggling Scarlett in my bed this morning and she looked so beautiful and old and mature and I asked, "When did you get so big?" And she responded in the most dramatic and melancholy voice,  "When they days passed by so fast."

July  14
Sylvia: Hey a cemetery! 
Me: Do you remember what those are? 
Sylvia: Nope. 
Scarlett: Oh! I know! I can teach her. Sylvia, wherever there's big rocks people died under it. Wait...well it's a large yard of dead people. And most of them have a church by it.

August 15
Explaining racism to Scarlett: 
That is so silly! Why do people care about skin? They should just care about taking care of their skin. Like so it doesn't get scrapes and sunburns. 

Aug 22
After asking how her first day of school was I asked if Waylon missed her (the boy who proposed to her last year...twice)  and she said nonchalantly, "Yeah, they all did." 

Scarlett: Mom, how do you spell inventures? 
Me: You mean adventures? 
Scar: No. 
Me: You mean inventions? 
Scar: No.  In-Ven-Ture. 
Me: Yeah, That's not a word.
Scar: Well now it is.

September 5
"Mom, I wrote my own Bible verse, 'At all times do not kill any of God's creations.' "

September 9
She learned to ride a bike without training wheels today and when she was able to get going by herself, turn around, and come back to me, she hopped off and with the most joy I have ever seen burst out of anyone ever she said, "I AM SO PROUD!!"

September 10 
I was having a hard time making a decision about something personal and she said, "Mom. I think God is telling you to do this because you have been getting a feeling to do it. I just got a note in my mind that we should do this and that we can do this."  

See? Goodness, kindness, wisdom. And only six years old.

I love you, Scarlett. Happy Birthday.