Happy 7th Birthday, Leah Bean!

Leah,

 I'm so sorry your birthday post is a few weeks late. There has been a lot going on. Don't worry, though. We celebrate what a smart, beautiful, kind girl you are each and every day. You also got to celebrate your birthday in a few fun ways.

For your birthday we had a double family party. You got a bunch of gift cards to American Girl which you used to buy Lea's tree house in Chicago. On your birthday you got some additional presents from Mommy and Daddy (a big lego set and Lea's sloth) and Juliet (a pom pom skirt and a toy that you push on pins and they make an indentation on the other side--I have no idea what it's called!). We had dinner from Olga's and you got to watch some movies (which is one of your favorite things to do!). We watched Zootopia and The Littlest Dinosaur over the course of the day.

You are such a good girl. I've always felt that you have an old soul. I remember my mom saying that about me when I was little. You just "get" things that other kids sometimes struggle with. You've never minded if another kid opens a mountain of presents at their birthday party. You are not jealous when someone else goes somewhere cool or gets picked in class for a special thing. You are genuinely happy for others and their experiences. You don't mind sharing the spotlight when you are getting positive attention. You've never made any cruel declarations like, "I don't like you" or "I wish that you weren't my _______". That's not to say that you've never been sassy or grumpy. You feel those things, too, but typically handle those feelings in a very mature way. I love that I can always count on you to understand when plans suddenly change, even when it means that you get the short end of the stick.

You LOVE to read. Currently you love Magic Tree House and Rainbow Fairies the best. You also really like nonfiction books. Right now you reading a book about coral reefs. A few days ago I caught you flipping through an US Weekly looking for an article about Taylor Swift (she was on the cover). It was like time jumped forward 10 years and it gave me an immediate lump in my throat. Besides reading, you also love music. You bring your i pod around the house with you often. You love Taylor Swift, Britany Spears, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Queen, and music from musicals (Matilda, Grease, and The Sound of Music). I got tickets for us to see Wicked in November, and I know we will add that music immediately after seeing it. You also love to dance, swim, and to do gymnastics. I catch you balancing on your hands in the area between the counter and the kitchen counter daily. You are always flipping and cartwheeling. You and Juliet are always making cushion piles for flipping on and tumbling tracks for floor routines.

You have some cute things that you say that I want to write down so I don't forget. For the longest time you called English muffins "Spanish bread". You read the word "orginal" and apparently really liked it. You've used the word (correctly) in conversation often, but you pronounce it "org-in-il". When someone asks you what dance classes you are taking in the fall, you answer "ballet and choreographal" (should be lyrical). You call your class the "splits" class. Lately you've been calling Daddy "DA..DA"

Speaking of splits, you are back in school and love it. You are in a first/second grade split class. We both had some worries about it at first (of course I kept my worries to myself and Daddy), but so far, you love it. You've made friends with both first and second graders from your class. You still play with your old friends at recess. Today you took the NWEA test which is an hour long test that the district makes kids take. Truthfully, I see no value in it as a parent or an educator. It stresses you out BIG TIME. You worry about not doing your best and getting questions wrong. Yesterday you broke my heart when you recounted a traumatizing test session last year. You said, "I just kept waiting for the barking dog to tell me I was done. The dog didn't come!". You rock those tests and always score exceptionally high, but it makes you worry. You worry more than Daddy or I would like to see. I hope you know that Daddy and I are always here for you and nothing you could do would ever upset us--we will always help you. You are also so,so strong and capable and should always trust in yourself. You've given me some good advice in the past year. Sometimes we I worry or feel upset I think back on you saying, "Just get over it and move on with your life". That memory always makes me smile!

I love that you are at my school this year. Every day you hold my hand on the way in and on the way out. I love that I miss so little of you each day. I didn't realize that the time you were on the bus added an additional 45 minutes each day. It's nice to have that time back. I love you hanging out in my office every morning and afternoon.You usually read, finish your homework, or we practice your spelling words. At the end of the day, you love to stand outside my door and watch your friends walk by. You are so happy to not take the bus every day. You've always complained about the gym being loud at dismissal, and you were right! It is deafening!

You love your sister and I sometimes can't believe how well you play together. You two can disappear for hours and play nicely the entire time (not always, though). You dance, do gymnastics, set up parties and tents, and train the dog together. I love to watch you play with her! You've learned how to manipulate her into getting what you want when you are forced to agree with her for a decision. It's really funny to see. Juliet loves you so much and it is clear that you return the feeling.

It's fun to compare you with Juliet. You are both such good, kind, loving kids. You are more reserved and shy than she is, but once you are comfortable you would never know. Juliet isn't as interested in books and reading as you were at the same age, but you never make her feel badly about not reading or leaving out 15 every.single.time she counts. You sometimes struggle to understand that because she is almost 3 years younger, she sometimes gets to do things that you can no longer do. But you never take that feeling out on her. You are both the best, and we couldn't even begin to imagine our family without either of you

You love to dress yourself. I try to give you full reign of your clothing on at least one weekend day, and I love seeing what you come up with. If I smile too much you start to feel sensitive and tell me, "WHAT?! I like how this looks." I tell you we would never make fun of you, and your clothing choices make us smile because it's so YOU. You are very artistic. You love to paint, color, and draw. I think you are really good at it. I love to see what you create! There are always markers and papers out on our kitchen table.

Other current favorites of yours:
Food: pretzels and hummus, apples, chicken nuggets, pesto pizza, mints (you are always asking me to have one!) and chocolate almond milk
Movies: Harry Potter, Barbie, Grease, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Restaurants: Olgas, Subway, Starbucks (for cake pops!), Coney Island and Panera Bread
Special Activities: Sleeping in our room, getting extra time to read before you have to go to sleep, having me do your hair in a special way (lately it's been Dutch braids), going out anywhere special (movie theater, museum), sleeping in (you aren't back on "school time" yet--and have always slept in much more than your contemporaries), swimming at the Colony, getting your nails painted
Color: Pink!
Clothing: Anything twirly!

Leah Loo, we love you more than you will ever know. I hope you have the happiest 7th year ever!