A letter to my {first} daughter: 8 is great!

Gianna -

Another entire year has passed by, inexplicably. This year has been one of so much growth, maturity and general happiness.

We were able to spend a week at Disney World this summer and you were tall enough to ride all the rides which was really fun! What a fun age to visit the most magical place on earth – you were just as excited to see everything, meet all the characters and experience all that there was to experience but old enough to have a little bit of freedom to choose what rides to ride and understand that sometimes we have to wait in line.

You ended first grade with such a positive attitude, went to math and reading tutoring all summer, and here we are 3/4 of the way through second grade – and you’ve NEVER stopped working hard and trying your best. I am so proud of the effort that you put forward and the growth that we have seen academically, especially now, with a full understanding of what and a bit of why, you struggle. Now that we are working on a plan and working with an educated understanding of what is happening (some processing speed issues, a math comprehension disability and some innatention issues) I know you are going to SOAR! We’ve tried various interventions at school and at home – some successful, some not – but the school has been fantastic, accomodating, all things wonderful and helpful. I’m looking forward to getting a formal plan in place and really just watching you blossom as you learn.

You’ve been such a huge help around the house and a role model to your sisters. You do your regular chores (almost always) without a fuss, help with extra things when needed and sometimes when you are hoping to earn an extra privilage. I am reminded often that your heart is one that takes service to heart and understands how to give of yourself to others so kindly. I am also often reminded that those big emotions you’ve had all your life, are still present and growing. You are sensitive, to a fault sometimes, you carry around your feelings right on your sleeve and really feel for others when they are upset/happy/etc.

This year you spent a lot of the summer dancing and kept up with dance throughout the year. You wanted to badly to try out for the competition team but this isn’t going to be your year for that – which you so bravely and maturely accepted and understood some more work is necessary. You are also going to try softball this spring, which should be interesting. Justice has quickly become a favorite store, emojis, rainbows and unicorns are things you enjoy, it is the most adorable thing to watch you FaceTime with your best friend, texting with you is pretty adorable as well.

In just a few weeks you will be taking your first holy communion and I am so proud of you. You’ve been present and engaged in each PSR class and you are taking the whole sacrement seriously. I can see God working through you and I can see you growing spiritually each day.

The one thing that I can’t get over is how you can act so old some days when you are still so little. We can have a mature conversation at dinner and I tuck you in with all of your stuffed animals. It keeps me humble and grounded in the present – you ARE still little, but yet big. I still love to watch you play and use your imagination – it is a thing of beauty the way your imagination puts stories together. You’re the sweetest big sister (a little bossy, but you know, oldest child!) and so excited to welcome another sibling into the house. When we told you that this bundle would be arriving you had happy tears, which is the sweetest ever.

You are my little best friend, I love the moment you walk into my office after school each day so I can hear all about what happened while you were gone. Spending time with just you, to really hear what’s on your mind and in your heart lifts my spirits as much as it probably lifts yours. I am always in your corner, little lady.

I love you so much it hurts -

Mommy

A letter to my {first} daughter: Seven!

Gianna!

This is a slightly delayed (and by slightly, I mean by 3 months) letter to you for your birthday. I wrote you one in our letter journal (albeight it last month) and somehow never got around to putting anything here. Life, as has been the case for the longest time and will probably for the next many years, passes by without me being able to take a few moments to put all the things swirling around in my head down in writing.

Enough about that – let’s talk about you!

The past year, the age of six (now the beginning of seven), was one that was FULL of changes in your life.

We moved twice, you went to a new school, changed dance studios, lost a lot of teeth, made a lot of new friends and your confidence is growing by leaps and bounds. Little babies grow rapidly as they develop, but big kids it seems, grow just as rapidly but differently. For example, I realized sometime in the spring that i hadn’t tied your shoe in weeks – because you learned how to do it yourself! Sometimes Idon’t even realize how much you’ve grown and learned until I’m doing something for one of your sisters and it hits me that I don’t need to do the same for you.

There was so much that happened it is really hard to capture it all, as is typically the case.

You are such a little girl, who sometimes wishes she wasn’t so little (and that’s okay), but I think you also don’t want to grow up so fast (I appreciate that!). There was a moment a few months ago, you and your sister were getting ready for bed and I was brushing your hair – I forget now what was so funny, but you were CRACKING UP – all I could see in the mirror was a little girl in the middle of a giggle fest – I tried so hard to burn that image into my head: an image of innocence, sweetness and laughter – it was perfect.

It amazes me how helpful you can be – how much (at times) you want to help your sisters, to help me, to have responsibility of your own. I’m greatful for your kind spirit and your big emotions. You’ve always felt everything with such magnitude and the only thing that has changed about that is how you recognize it too. You’ll often say to me when you are upset about something “I just have a lot of feelings!” to which I tell you it’s okay to have a lot of feelings!

One thing you REALLY REALLY wanted for your birthday was an ipad. We debated and finally got you a new-to-you ipad – you would have thought we bought you a pony! You were so so happy! Technology isn’t something I always put a lot of emphasis on, but the world does, so we need to embrace that a little here with boundaries and responsibility/responsible use. So far, so good. (Also, facetime and iMessaging are her favorite things to do!)

Confidence growth, I think, will be the name of the game going foward. Confidence in your ability to do anything you want (practice and work hard!), confidence that you CAN, confidence that you can learn anything. You’ve shown this in the way you’ve learned to read even when it was really really hard, in the way you’ve made new friends when you were shy, in all the new things you have tried this year, in the way you’ve grown in dance and just in life. I’m so proud of you and I am really loving all of the big kid firsts happening in your life!

 

Love you much, my little G!

Mommy

These Days….

There is so.much going on around here (always?!) and 101% of the time, I have no time to really even process all that is happening in our lives. I am going to give a quick rundown and I really, truly (honestly) hope to expand on most, if not all, of these things going forward.

* Gianna started FIRST GRADE last week. We ended up moving her from Catholic to public school after a really long debate. I think we made the choice that made the most sense. The first week went well for her, so that’s exciting for all of us!

* Aleesia is officially 2.5 and she is THE SPUNKIEST ball of energy I have ever met. I’m lucky she is mine, but also, wow – she makes me tired!

* Being a full-time work at home mom for the past 6 months has been so great. And so hard. And so many things. There are a few things I can say for certain though. This wouldn’t be possible without my village – our nanny, my sisters, my parents, cousins, so many people who help out when needed. Being at home has been so fun and the flexibility I have is wonderful. But it is HARD to be “on” all of the time.

* We are going to the beach in a few weeks! We are going to Hilton Head for the first time and really looking forward to it. If you’ve been there – tips, tricks, places not to miss are all greatly appreciated! We are planning on vising Savannah as well while we are there.

* Our new house! Oh my gosh, so much I can say about our new house. We have a pre-drywall meeting this week and we are looking forward to that. I have pictures of the whole process and will hopefully do a few posts related to our building process (which has been really great). Things are moving along and I am ALL OVER the Pinterest boards with updates and ideas for decorating a house that is significantly bigger than our previous home.

* Vivian is such a sweet baby! She finally started to sit up on her own and can go from laying/crawling to sitting. She’s been crawling for at least 2 months so she gets all over the place and flashes her amazing smile at us! She is a bit of a mommy’s girl and she doesn’t love to sleep without touching me. It has been hard to get her in a sleep routine, but we’ll get there. We started to give her some baby food a few weeks ago and she is just now really getting the hang of eating from a spoon.

* I ran a half marathon last weekend, it was a great race and I had a pretty huge PR. I’m looking forward to my next one in September. I also finished my 4th (or 5th?!?) MBA class last week. I’m looking forward to finding some good books to read on vacation – any ideas for me?

Overall, I’m not ready to give up summer yet but also ready for the routine the school year brings. We have fun plans that will get us through the end of September and then our fall plans (and moving!!) start up in October! I don’t feel like I am as organized and on top of life as usual right now which is frustrating but somehow we are all getting through our days!

A letter to my daughter {5 and a HALF!}

Oh Gianna!

When we woke up this morning it hit me that today you are 5 and a HALF. Which means you are closer to having to count your age on 2 hands than you were yesterday. And I almost want to refuse to believe it.

I want to pretend some days that you are still much younger.

(photo credit: Tamarie Photography/2010)

But most days, I fully embrace your big kid status.

You are growing up and maturing so quickly, as I expected would happen once you started school. The things that you are learning are so amazing – writing, math, science, music, computer, art, gym (you still do not love gym class but you did tell me that Mr. N is a “big, funny guy”!), and most of all religion. You talk daily about ways to talk to God and I see you growing so much in your understanding of and love for Him – you pay attention during mass and we talk about it afterwards. There are some parts of school that don’t come as easy to you, but we are finally getting to a place of agreement where you will always try your best – because my little firecracker, that is all we will ever ask of you. Please try your best always and never fear that we will be disappointed or frustrated with you over something that doesn’t appear to be perfect. No one is perfect, and no one perfects any new skill without practicing and trying.

You are such a goofball and your personality is really evolving into one just overflowing with imagination, surrounded by silliness and genuine love for the people in your life. You spend almost all of your free time at home coloring (or some other art related project) or playing with your dolls/barbies/etc. creating different stories and adventures for them.

Being a big sister is something that you truly excel in. You have been so patient with Aleesia (most days!) when she wants to play with your dollhouse or your princesses too. Now that you share a room, neither of you like to go to bed without the other and I can hear you telling her “time to go to sleep, Aleesia!” or when she wakes up in the morning or after her nap you are first to run to her. Sometimes you have tried to get Aleesia out of her crib but usually you either jump in there with her or just play entertain her until we can come in and help. You love to pick out her clothes and are always concerned about what she is doing. And that big sister love is already showing with the new baby even if she isn’t here yet. You talk to her in my belly and love to sit with your hand on my stomach to feel her move. Being a big sister is a lot of responsibility but you take it all in stride.

Dance is still your favorite thing – you are in the big girl ballerina class and hip hop this year and you love it! You are doing a great job at swimming, too! You love to go on adventures, you still have quite the fashion opinion, and you always have a lot to say! We are still working through some attitude problems at times (but we are all allowed to be grumpy and have have a bad day sometimes!) but you have grown and matured so much, especially recently.

You are helpful - you do your chores and even a few extra things when we need your help; you are respectful – you use your manners and treat adults with respect even when we aren’t around; you are kind – you are often very concerned about how your actions will affect others.

Lately you have been wanting to snuggle up on the couch a lot when  you are tired and I certainly take advantage of that!  You continue to love princesses, you want to live at Disney World and you want to be a ballerina and a horse rider when you grow up (and maybe a singer!).

So today, we celebrated your very merry unbirthday with pink cupcakes and a happy birthday song, complete with candles during an after dinner tea party. And you were so excited – you wear all of your emotions on your sleeve and there is nothing more I love than seeing the pure joy you express when you are happy!

My not-so-little girl, you just constantly amaze me. And that spark in those blue eyes remains shining bright. I love you so much it hurts some days and I am so proud of you just for being you!

xo

Mommy

Wordless Wednesday

Teeny tiny dancer: 2011

Still tiny dancer: 2012

Getting less tiny dancer: 2013

Where did my tiny dancer go: 2014

 

Dance is her favorite thing ever and she couldn’t WAIT to be in the big girl ballerina class. (and hip hop, too!) I can’t believe she is big enough to be in this class but I truly adore watching her grow through dance.

Also, of note, it shocks me every time I see a vintage Gianna picture how much Aleesia looks like her sister more and more every day!

School Daze

It’s been almost 3 weeks of school for Gianna – I can’t believe it! It has been a big adjustment for all of us, but I think we are all hanging in there and figuring it out.

She likes her teacher, she thinks the bus is fun, and has made some new friends. I am already hearing recess stories of “so and so was swinging without me and I didn’t like that”! She has a long way to go to improve her handwriting and homework started this week which went okay, not wonderful, but we made it through.

I love hearing about her day – I try not to ask too much but Gianna is a chatty mcchatterson so she usually volunteers quite a bit of information with little prompting! They have gym, computer, art, and music class each week and she loves all of them (well, I don’t know if love and gym would go in the same sentence, but she tolerates it!).

The uniform is the biggest blessing! 4 days a week we have zero arguments (well, we had one argument about socks, but we quickly fixed that problem). On gym days when she has to wear her gym uniform, we have a little issue since she hates gym clothes of any kind. It took three tries to find shorts she would actually wear, though. She spent a good 20 minutes yelling about how “I am just not going to school on gym days. I do not like these kind of clothes. Besides, I don’t want to play sports anyway I don’t need to go to gym class”. She wore her tshirt backwards this week but so far we have survived! It also cracks me up that she will ONLY wear the bow we bought that matches her jumper!

Favorite color: Pink

Favorite food: grilled cheese sandwiches

I want to be “a horse rider and a ballerina” when I grow up

We are dealing with a crazy amount of exhaustion after school and over the weekend but hopefully with time that passes/she adjusts. She does not like getting up early at all or eating breakfast. She also doesn’t eat her lunch – I have no idea what to do about that part! She comes home with 3/4 of her lunch un-eaten daily (today, she only ate grapes). I’m sure she is far too busy chatting it up with her new little girl friends to eat and before she knows it, lunch is over (we prompt her about 2031124 times per meal at home to eat and not talk!) and natural consequences will hopefully start to take effect soon (she’s starving when she gets home!).

We hope she keeps loving it and we see loads of improvement over this year, and I am sure we will! And I will keep leaving her little notes in her lunch box every day.

How has everyone else’s school year started?

Growing up

We all know by now that these adorable little people we are so blessed to have call us mommy and daddy are the biggest time-suckers ever invented. It seems like yesterday they joined our family as itty bitty humans and tomorrow they are going to be taking on the world.

Or in this case, Kindergarten.

I am an emotional wreck over this whole kindergarten business – not because I am necessarily sad about it, but because MY ITTY BITTY HUMAN is going to be gone all day. Because once school starts, it doesn’t stop for a very long time. It’s the first step to college. She might have gotten bigger, but she’s still my itty bitty human. Watching her grow up has been the greatest joy – I had no idea how awesome this journey of motherhood could be (how could you know beforehand?!) and it keeps getting better. Different, harder sometimes, but better.

The whole starting school thing has me wanting to latch on for dear life and then about 10x tighter to every moment with her since I get so few of them. Like how she wears silly pj combinations to bed which typically consist of a tutu and some kind of head wear (a hat, pink bunny ears, a tiara). As much as it drives me up a wall now, I’m sure I’ll miss the way she stalls at night and whines at me when she wants my attention. Okay, maybe I won’t so much miss the whining part as much as the attention seeking part. I love to spy on her while she plays – her imagination has always been fascinating to me and it still is. To watch her create stories and scenarios, crafts and pictures, getting her thoughts out into the universe however she can is pretty cool. She drew a picture today of our family “in the good old days” when Aleesia was a baby, she told me because Aleesia “didn’t take my toys then but I still love her anyway.” 

When Gianna tells a story she doesn’t leave out any detail, real or imaginary. My favorite story lately has been about when she went fishing with her Papa. “We went fishing, I had my Barbie fishing wand and Papa put on the worm ‘cuz it was gross. Then you have to watch the bobber, you know, the decoration on the fishing wand, until it sinks under the water. And when it sinks you have to real it in fastfastfast. then Papa takes the fish off!”

I hope she always beams so bright when she accomplishes something she tries hard at. And that she stays so close with her Papa.

Gianna gets really nervous when she knows change is coming so we are trying to keep the whole school business low-key and no big deal but she asks almost every day about it. It’s nice to know exactly when she starts (it’s actually right when we get back from vacation) so we have sort of “time mark” to help us. She is excited but the unknowns sort of swirl in her mind sometimes it seems so we just try to answer whatever questions she has as best we can and reassure her that it’s still summer and to have fun! Sometimes though, I think I need the reassurance as much as she does that it’s still summer and to enjoy it!

It’s sometimes hard to watch your itty bitty human grow up, but this doesn’t feel hard as much as it feels likes it’s the ending and beginning of an era. The end of her being under our protection full time and the beginning of the school days where she might learn more about the world then we are ready for her too. It’s going to be great, hard sometimes I am sure, but it’s still summer time and we are going to soak in as much fun as we possibly can!

Before I know it I am going to be crying my eyes out every other day because my itty bitty human is going off to college and kissing her on the cheek before work in the morning as she sleeps in her tutu with her bunny ears on is going to be such a distant (fond) memory. They really do grow up in the blink of an eye, huh?

Big Kid First

All of the “firsts” pretty much happen by the time a kid is 18 months old, ya know? But not this one!

Someone informed me last week that she has a loose tooth, a REALLY loose tooth. And she did. (She had been telling me for months that her “sweet tooth” was loose ever since reading the book Silverlicious, and they were not actually loose!) Gianna also insisted that the tooth fairy would leave her a lollipop to make sure her “sweet tooth” wasn’t gone forever. So the tooth fairy made a run for the candy store so the lollipop would be ready when the time came.

I do NOT like loose teeth – I remember as a kid HATING it when my teeth would fall out – something about it just totally grosses me out. So naturally I was hoping that dang tooth would fall out when I wasn’t home. I saw it was getting REALLY loose the other day and started to get nervous it would fall out on my watch, to be honest!

And it did! She was eating a pb&j sammie for lunch at the zoo with her Aunt Jacqui and out came her tooth! Low and behold her “adult” tooth is already coming in!

(I cross my heart promise not to post any gross bloody mouth pictures from lost teeth – they also gross me out!)

We talked about where her tooth would go and how the tooth fairy would get it on the way to and from swimming today. During our conversation I convinced her that the tooth fairy is SO small that she would surely get lost finding her way to Gianna’s bed if she didn’t clean her room AND her bed. And she did – it’s spotless in there! (or a 5 year old version of spotless, at least!). she  made an envelope for her tooth.

And a picture so the tooth fairy would know just where to find her.

She added the wand “because wands are for fairies, mommy. I don’t want her to get lost” and when the tooth fairy picks up her tooth she will apparently put Gianna’s picture on it and put it in her magical tooth fairy treasure box right next to my teeth from when I was a little girl.

Nah, this tooth fairy is going to hide that tooth for now and probably toss it in a week, who needs little baby teeth hanging around for no real reason? But I hear this tooth fairy leaves just the right kind of tooth fairy surprise, sparkling money and a chocolate lollipop.

I am fairly certain she JUST got those teeth so it can’t be possible for them to be falling out already, but here we are. Big kid first number one, in the record books.