Happy 74 months to my First Grade girl! We are about a month into the new school year, and I can happily say that this year is starting off much better than the last.

Last year, school started with unexpected changes and lots of unknowns. But this year you’re with the same teacher and in the same kindergarten-first grade room. And bonus – THIS year you get to be the upperclassman. The helper. The BOSS.

At the teacher’s request, I got to hang out for a few minutes on that first day of school to help. The first activity of the day was to get everyone to sit for circle time. The teacher demonstrated how she expected each child, when his/her name was called, to quietly tuck in their chair, walk to the circle and sit with hands folded in laps.

Then, it was the students’ turn. She looked around the hushed room, and whispered, “Camille.”

As the first one called, it was your moment to shine. You could’ve won an Oscar for your portrayal of “The Model Student,” as you followed the prescribed steps with such purpose and care (and a bit of flourish). You beamed. I slipped out of the room, confident that your first day was off to a great start.

After school, we met up with a group of buddies for celebratory fro-yo, and it felt good to be back in the mix with these great friends.

With school back in session, we’ve returned to a nice weekday routine, but still manage to jam our weekends quite full. Last weekend we surprised you with a quick trip to Disneyworld – a pretty great surprise indeed! We had one day remaining on a 4-day ticket we’d purchased earlier in the year, and the tickets were about to expire. Well that would’ve been sad, so off we went to Orlando.

We had a fantastic time at Hollywood Studios, riding the Star Wars ride a couple of times until I was sure I would throw up if we rode it once more. Then it was off to Magic Kingdom where we hit all the favorite rides, amid a park that had been spruced up for fall.

Despite all the fun rides and shows to see, your favorite experiences are often the quiet moments you have with a beloved Disney character. For someone who can clam up around strangers, you show no hesitation when a princess reaches out for your hand. This time, it was Merida from the movie Brave. You fell into her arms and gripped her around her waist for several minutes while she asked about your day, what rides you’d ridden, what else you were going to see. You were breathlessly enraptured.

I feel like you probably understand that this person isn’t a real princess, that’s it’s just a regular person wearing a character’s clothing. But I don’t dare mention it, because your joy is certainly real. And it’s a joy to watch as well.

Speaking of princesses and fairies, you got a visit from the very enchanting Tooth Fairy this month when you lost your first tooth! The saga really began several weeks prior when, the day before you turned 6, I noticed that one of your permanent teeth had begun emerging behind your not-yet-loose baby tooth. This concerned me initially, but a call to the dentist revealed it wasn’t a big deal. The baby tooth would soon come out, they said.

And they were right. It got all wiggly and you begged us not to pull it, but to let it fall out on its own. Considering the fact that your father and I both get light-headed at the sight of a wiggly tooth, you needn’t have worried.

Then one Sunday, the day before you started 1st grade, the tooth just fell out. Plunk, right into your little hand. Without pulling. Without tying a string to a doorknob. It happened just as you hoped it would.

You were so excited, and carried your tooth around in a satin-lined box all day. But worry crept in when you thought about the tooth fairy actually taking your beloved first tooth. So you wrote a note.

And the tooth fairy wrote a note in return, congratulating you on your first tooth and allowing you to keep it, along with the monetary prize. The tooth is still in its satin box, which has been given a place of honor on your bookshelf near your bed.

Will you be mad at us one day when you find out the tooth fairy isn’t real? I hope not. Your Daddy and I enjoy bringing a little bit of magic into your life. After all, you bring so much into ours. We love you, sweet girl.