WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING. I mean, I know I’m getting old, but somehow I didn’t realize that my children would get old too. Who is this long-legged girl-child and what happened to my chubby baby?
At age seven, Mila wants to be an engineer when she grows up…just like her dad. She won’t even consider other options. It’s all about designing + building + inventing + tinkering for this girl. In fact, she is the reason our back yard swing exists. Somehow she managed to tie a flip flop to a tree branch and I caught her out there happily clinging to her shoe like it was the most normal thing in the world. David updated it to be a little more sustainable…but several gold stars to her for effort!
She loves to watch shows like “The Magic Schoolbus” and “Octonauts,” and on library day, she always comes home with something nonfiction and sciencey. When I asked what she wanted to do this summer, she immediately reminded me of our short-lived Summer On Purpose series when we learned about different countries. This year she wants to learn about Norway.
If ever there was a sponge for knowledge, it’s Mila.
Mila loves school SO MUCH. (She does not, however, love homework. At all.) When she found out her birthday fell on the last day of school this year, she was beyond excited. Lucky me, too, because the last day of school is already mostly a party anyway. I didn’t have to plan something, but she still gets to spend her special day with her friends and her beloved teacher. Everyone wins!
However, while she enjoys being with her many “BFFs forever,” I’m beginning to suspect she is a social introvert like me. When she gets overwhelmed or over-tired, she finds a corner of the house away from her siblings to read or tinker or draw. I love that she has learned to take a timeout when she needs it.
That said, she is seven-years-old, and that age is WEIRD. Sometimes she can be so mature, and then she makes a gross noise or writhes like an octopus on a hot plate and makes herself giggle so hard she can’t breathe.
She’s the best big sister Margot + Ryan could’ve asked for. She reads them stories without hesitation, and the songs + dances + imaginary plays they put together are…well, they’re long, but they’re inclusive. If anyone ever gets hurt while they’re playing, it’s not because anyone was angry or being mean. It’s because they hugged each other too tight or the snuggly dog pile got a little rowdy. She is so patient with them.
She’s my favorite writer right now. I can’t believe how big her feet are getting. Basically I’m in awe of how much she’s growing in every way. And while pictures of her as a little squish melt my heart, I am really enjoying the person she is right now. And I’m so excited to see little glimpses of the woman she’ll someday become.
I think she feels the same way sometimes: anxious to get enough snuggles from her parents, but definitely outgrowing what she once was and excited to stretch her limits a little. I don’t mind. She’ll always be my favorite firstborn baby.
Growing up is hard, but it sure it fun to watch. And this girl is going to do wonders someday, I just know it.
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