Seven

Today is our youngest one’s seventh birthday. So, in keeping with tradition and without further adieu, here is a brief letter to her:

Dear First Grader,

You are seven years old today. To celebrate, I want to document seven things I like about you:

1. You are spunky. One of your favorite words is currently “burn,” as in “buh-buh-buh-burn,” said with your hands on your hip and a shake of your head when you get the basketball through the hoop or beat one of your sisters in a game. It’s an attitude I don’t want to encourage but something about the way you say it, often with a smile and in the wrong context, makes me stifle a laugh as I’m correcting your sass.
2. You are creative. Another word you often use is “nevern,” as in: “I’ve nevern seen that movie.” Adding the extra “n” to the end of the word is your unique way of saying “never in my life.” It’s a very Southern thing to do to combine a few words for the sake of time, and I hope it stays in your spoken {just maybe not your written!} vocabulary for awhile.
3. You’re a more imaginative writer than me. One of your hobbies is making books, and you have no shortage of plot lines. Some of your recent titles include, “Sister Fight,” which might be an autobiography, and “Dance Disaster,” which might be loosely based on the story of your mother’s brief foray into ballet as a child.
4. You love a good story. You don’t just watch movies, you soak them up and ponder them for days. You cry when they are sad, gasp when they are scary, and laugh unabashedly when they are funny. Your most recent favorite is The Greatest Showman, and one of your all-time favorites is still Peter Pan.
5. You believe anything is possible. Yesterday you told us that when you grow up you think you’d like to be “a trapeze girl, a scientist, an artist, a dog walker, and sometimes work at Chick-fil-A.” I like that you dream big, but you keep a level head about it all. Whether you walk a tightrope or a pack of dogs, I’m excited to see where your ambitions will take you.
6. Your curiosity is contagious. You want a microscope for your birthday. I have zero interest in science or the study of microscopic things found in nature. But something about your excitement for science makes me feel like I’m missing out if I don’t pay attention. Maybe it’s the way you wear a lab coat and goggles?
7. You have diverse interests. You’ve requested a tiara along with that microscope. You have a heart for the homeless {you ask about them regularly}, a love for the British {you are obsessed with their accent and royalty}, and a flair for the dramatic {you like bold sunglasses and fancy puffer vests, even in July}.

I’m still not sure how to best parent you since conventional methods rarely apply. But I’m glad for the ways you grow me and challenge me to color outside the lines. You certainly make life more fun, and I hope you “nevern” doubt how much we love you. Happy seventh, dear one!