Anna Kate—my “Action Baby”—is a true wonder. She has been magical from the very beginning of her time with me. I saw her fresh from the oven, and she has amazed me ever since.
AK is a fiercely loyal friend. She does not let people mistreat the ones she loves.
She is tuned to notice injustice, and she will call out hypocrisy—even mine.
AK loves to shop, and her mathy mind can track exactly what she has spent against her budget down to the cent.
She loves animals. She has fostered and rehomed multiple batches of kittens, even though it is hard, because that is the kind of heart she has.
AK has always been a dancer, a singer, and an actor. Her “Scout Finch” honestly surprised me, and I love that when she chooses to do something, she takes it seriously.
When she was younger, she used to fill time in the car by telling me about places she had visited in her sleep or daydreams. They were detailed, colorful worlds, often delightfully different from the “real” one. I did not record those stories because I foolishly could not imagine a day when she would stop telling them. I thought I would have more time.
AK has always been a talented visual artist. Even in pre-K, her art was special. She has things to say, and she can actually make the canvas look the way she wants it to look, which still amazes me.
She has always loved adventure. We used to gear up in rubber boots and head down to the creek by our house. She would always fill those boots with water, but she was the most fun person to explore with. She could catch tadpoles and fishies, and for a long time we had an aquarium in our house filled with creek sand, rocks, and water, where tadpoles became frogs and fish somehow just kept on living.
AK was cripplingly shy as a child, but she has shown that she can absolutely overcome that when it is time to do a job. She loves volunteering with me at Tyler Civic Theater, and she is especially good at concessions.
She has a great sense of humor and makes me laugh out loud.
She also challenges me and makes me think. Some of my favorite conversations are the one-on-one ones I get to have with her.
AK likes to read, and it makes me so happy to know that she loves reading.
She is a very good big sister. When it comes down to it, she loves her sisters deeply and takes good care of Bells. It delights me to catch them enjoying each other, usually while doing makeup.
AK is generous. She loves to make what I call “collection gifts” for her friends, slowly gathering small things over time. She puts so much thought, care, and love into them.
And one of my favorite things of all: she actually likes spending time with me and Stacy. She especially likes one-on-one time, but she chooses us pretty regularly, and I do not take that for granted.
I could keep going.
AK is smart, sensitive, discerning, and always paying attention. I want to know what she thinks about whatever is going on. She has a way of making everything feel okay—even the hard things.
I love you, Anna Kathryn. I am so glad you are in the world with me.
Happy birthday—and break a leg today!
