Every year seems surprising to me. Like, how are you possibly [insert age here]
Top 10 Things You Love
- Being on stage (I still occasionally catch you singing one of your Annie songs)
- Sushi, spaghetti, and soup (at least one of my children appreciates my soups … you also love alliteration … )
- Reading, particularly whilst lounging in your bed
- Drawing
- RipStik-ing
- It's a Southern Thing, Mark Rober, and the Holderness Family YouTube channels
- Routines
- Making cards for people
- Your family
- Quality time
Top 10 Things You Don't Love
- Emptying the dishwasher and cleaning the bathrooms (though you don't mind dusting and vacuuming)
- Automatic toilets (eight years strong)
- Math (this one keeps showing up on this particular Top 10 List … as it does on another Top 10 List … ironic, no?)
- A change in your routine
- Bugs
- Having to spend more than 10 minutes on school (I keep telling you that the older you get the longer school takes - but you're having none of my logical offerings)
- Not being involved in conversations
- Being corrected (nobody does, but it's been tricky to convince you of this)
- Dumb phrases on shirts that are made for tween girls (we've had lots of conversations about how things like FOLLOW YOUR HEART and 90% ANGEL are obnoxious statements)
- Waiting patiently
Top 10 Things You're Good At
- Singing, acting, and being a general ham (as evidenced by your performance in Annie)
- Math (well hello, math, fancy seeing you again)
- Purging the clutter from your room (Marie Kondo might even learn a thing or two from you)
- Keeping your room clean (made easier, because of #3)
- Remembering to do your school work
- Handwriting
- Making scrambled eggs
- Drawing cartoons
- Sarcasm (though we're still working on how to wield that power for good and not for evil)
- Talking to adults (every since you were about three, you've always preferred older kids and adults to younger kids)
Top 10 Things You're Not Good At
- Keeping your sighs to yourself when asked to do certain chores (which makes you also good at doing extra chores .... sighs = more chores)
- Maintaining your composure when your routine gets shifted around
- Extending yourself grace (you'll get there, baby girl, I promise)
- Riding a unicycle
- Being an adult (I often tell you "As a 10-year-old, you make a terrible adult." I say then when you try to understand things that are way beyond your scope of knowledge or when you try to make decisions that you have no business making)
- Piloting a 747
- Being content just listening to (and not participating in) a conversation
- Recovering well/quickly/calmly from messing up (please know this is completely normal - however, one of the benefits of homeschooling is providing you with the safest environment imaginable in which to mess up. Daddy and I don't want you to TRY to mess up, but because messing up is inevitable, it's important to learn how to recover well from it.)
- Performing open heart surgery
- Keeping cool when you know about a fun surprise and someone else doesn't
Oh, my sweet darling. I know this year hasn't been the easiest. Pre-teen hormones can feel like a sucker punch to the head (for you, for me, for errbody). Growing up ain't for the faint of heart and you're right in the thick of it. But in the middle of this season, we've had the opportunity to have some really good conversations. I've explained how there will be times when you'll act as rational as a toddler and that it's my job and Daddy's job to speak truth over your behavior. How you can't trust every feeling you have (FACTS AREN'T FEELINGS is a common phrase around here), particularly when you're feeling pity-party-ish. How so many things are a choice (this legitimately infuriates you) and learning how to make the right choice, even when it's not the easy choice.
One of my (many) prayers I have is for you to remember there's nothing you can do to make God (or Daddy and me) love you any more. And there's nothing you can do to make God (or Daddy and me) love you any less. Our love for you is at a rock-solid 100%. Performing well doesn't make us love you any more. Messing up doesn't make us love you any less. We will always be at an unshakeable 100%. Always, always, always.
You are chock-full of amazing qualities, my girl. You have a very sensitive, very precious heart. Without being asked, you design elaborate cards for people. You write encouraging notes to Charlie. You like to help me in the kitchen. Most mornings, you ask me to come upstairs and snuggle with you. But before that, I often hear you reading to Charlie in your bed. You like to cuddle with Daddy while we watch movies. You're strong and athletic, clever and smart, kind and eager. You love people; you love solitude. You love salads; you love ice cream. You're daring; you're cautious. You're amazing; you're beautiful; you're ours.
And you're also 11. Dude.
Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy
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Headlines for January 1, 2020
- Barbara Walters honored with 'This is 2020' tribute video featuring star cameos
- A million people gather in Times Square to celebrate the New Year
- Cleveland kidnapping survivors on journey from captivity to helping others
- Texas church shooting gunman grew angry in past over money requests, visited 'multiple' times, minister says
- Army veteran recycles Christmas trees into canes
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