Eight is Great

Today my oldest daughter turns 8 years old. Which amazes and underwhelms me at the same time. It amazes me that it has already been eight years since she was born, when it seems like such a short time ago that she was my one and only child that I would rock to sleep at nap time and sing to sleep at bed time. It also underwhelms me a bit since so much of the time she seems like she's already 12 years old. Eight is definitely not a big enough number for her personality.

This past year has been one of new experiences for her. She played some new sports, made some new friends, and acquired her own bedroom.

While she enjoyed softball, especially since her dad was the coach, she wasn't as keen on soccer this Fall. Which I think I could have predicted. She doesn't have the drive inside her to run like her younger siblings. She's a mover, don't get me wrong. But she's more into short and fast. I don't see any long distance running in her future. Personally, I can't blame her as I have the same tastes. So as you could guess, her favorite position to play in soccer was goalie. Which is just as important as the running positions. After all, I was a goalie too. For pretty much the same reasons. Perhaps she gets more of her physical make up from me than I thought.

This summer we moved the bedroom assignments around and gave her her own bedroom. We just felt like she really could use the space and the sense of ownership. She's grown into it with a flourish, especially since we just finished the last touches over the past week or two. She has already moved into the tween years, complete with posters on the wall and her constant desire to bring a purse with her everywhere we go, filled with all the little girl essentials, like a ponytail holder and comb, some cash, lip gloss and a mirror, and usually a fake cell phone.

Over the past year her loving spirit seems to have grown a well. She's like a little mommy to her brother, constantly helping him move through his ever-changing life. She's slowly shifting into the role of mentor to her sister. And she's becoming more of a helper around the house, someone I can count on for an extra pair of hands when I'm in need. Her desire to help take care of others and make sure everyone is included makes me proud.

When we talked about what she wanted to bring to school to celebrate her birthday, she said it had to be something "dairy-free, meat-free and nut-free so everyone can have one". This sort of amazed me since she really could have picked anything she wanted. So we came up with jello jigglers. Then yesterday she came home disheartened because she said that one boy in the class couldn't eat gelatin since he was a vegan. [I'll have to do some research on that one.] She then asked if she could bring him a cupcake. I told her that was very sweet, but that we'd have to be fair and just bring the one thing, and that I was sure he'd understand.

I think that I am finally seeing all the years of hard work starting to pay off. It's not that we didn't see all of these wonderful behaviors before, because we did. But now they are her lifestyle and personality, and not just what she does when we are right on top of her.

Her sense of generosity and caring. Her responsible and loving nature. They are all hers now. She acts on them because she chooses to, not because we are telling her to do so. Because these things are some of the many wonderful traits that make up her incredibly beautiful and unique personality.

And that's why I say Eight is Great.

Here's my birthday wish for you this year my love.

May you always socialize with confidence, making new friends with ease while still cherishing those who have remained loyal.

May you always love and appreciate your younger siblings, never take them for granted, and know that they will forever look up to you as you make your path in life.

May you always have so much energy and life that you brighten any room you enter.

And may you forever know that I am proud of every hit, cheering you on for every catch, excited for every new endeavor, and here for you if ever you should fall.

Happy 8th birthday big girl. I love you.