ERIN IS IN THE DOUBLE DIGITS!

As of today, there is an opening for the Most Beautiful, Smartest Nine-Year-Old Girl in the World.  The title of Most Beautiful, Smartest Ten-Year-Old Girl in the World, however, has just been captured by Erin. 

Nine was a great age for her.  She came into her own in soccer, playing many positions and scoring goals and running her little heart out; she has a little skip in her run that is precious.  She was one of the fastest girls on her team.  She's developing into a strong swimmer and will soon be a great asset for that team.  School is still fun and she aces everything, adding flair and imagination to all her projects.  She's a voracious reader and reads at least two grade levels ahead.  She was accepted (through a competition) to an elite math club at school.  For the second year in a row, she placed second in her school spelling bee.  This was the year that she started playing the flute; she loves to practice and is far ahead of the rest of her class.  This week, she got a professional keyboard and has been learning it on her own and has already mastered several songs.

Born with medically short stature, for the past few years Erin has had to inject herself with medicine six days a week for the last few years.  She started out at the bottom of the growth chart and has been working her way up to the fifth percentile, to the ninth percentile.  Last week we found out she reached the thirteenth percentile on the growth chart.  (Double digits again! -- Woot!)
  
But above all, Erin is a wonderful girl.  She has a kind heart.  She empathises.  She's patient.  She loves animals.  She has a  great sense of humor, peppered with whimsey and irony.  She has many friends.  She laughs a lot.  She giggles a lot.  Her smile melts my heart.

And ten is going to be a fantastic age for her.

Happy birthday, Sweetie!  We love you.