7

Oh, Jillian. Now you are seven. Just like that, in the blink of an eye. I never sleep well the night before your birthday. I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with that loooooong night before you were born perhaps--or maybe it's just that I'm reflecting back to that time, and thinking of all that's happened between October 29, 2008 and today. I also think there's something to feeling some pent up anticipation about wanting you to feel extra special on your birthday. Will you like your presents? Will you be delighted by the balloons and streamers I've left in your room in the night? Your dad and I made a conscious decision years ago to make birthdays a big deal, and now we have traditions that you count on and anticipate--that's really fun.

Let's talk about you at this stage. First of all, you are on a clear mission to live life as a big kid. You've lost those two front teeth, you don't want to match your sister, you want to make all your own decisions, and you certainly don't want me up in your business telling you what to do (I hear "Stop bossing me around!" quite frequently).  Your emotions are bigger, your questions are bigger, your fears are bigger. Life is just bigger.  This year I've seen so much of myself as a child in you, mostly as relating to wanting to be responsible/mature, becoming emotional as a sign of feeling anxious,  and loving to read and do well in school. While you think this would make relating to you easier, it actually makes it more difficult sometimes. You see, now that I have all this wisdom as your mother I know that some (OK many) things in life aren't worth getting worked up about--and I want so badly to intercept and redirect those feelings and worries for you because I know first hand how miserable it can get. And I try. And I get frustrated. And your dad reminds me that apples don't fall far...sigh. Actually, he loves to giggle at me when I get frustrated with your indecisiveness, your insane attention to detail, your need for routine, and your emotions...you give me a big 'ol dose of my own medicine on a regular basis.  I hear "she is your daughter" A LOT out of his mouth.

You are doing so well in school, and we are so proud of you. I had your conference with your teacher this week and in addition to doing absolutely stellar on your testing, she gave us some wonderful specific feedback about you. I heard, "Jillian is a beautiful writer". And that's so true! You have always been such a creator of things and ideas, and it's no surprise that you are writing pretty complex and complete creative stories as a first grader. I love to read anything you write, and my heart melts at the phonetic spelling. May it never go away. But honestly? None of the academic praise matters as much to me as much as when she told me that you are kind to everyone and a good friend. Specifically, she said you have taken a new kid (Noah) under your wing and that you really help him out and include him in everything. That makes my heart swell, because the most important thing in the world is to be kind and to love others. The other stuff is just icing on the cake.

Your big love right now is Disney's Descendants. You love the music (actually, you love most any music and have a lovely singing voice) and the story (Disney villain kids end up turning into 'good' kids) and the fact that the movie seems "grown up" because it is a live action musical and not animated. You love pepperoni pizza, popcorn, cheeseburgers with bacon and a side of ranch for your fries, mashed potatoes, and as chocolate as chocolate ice cream can get (current fave is the Blackbeard sundae at Flapdoodles--basically chocolate on chocolate on chocolate topped with chocolate). You love to read and have read three chapter books this week alone. You love to write. You love to create things with paper and scissors and tape. You love to make up games and play schemes for you and Adrienne to play. You love to climb trees and playground equipment in creative ways.  And you love a really messy room.  I am keeping an epic file of late-night messy room photos that I snap from time to time when I check on you (seriously, let's work on that before someone gets hurt!). You hate chores (they are "boring"), hate any direct requests from your mother, cannot stand to have your hair brushed/fixed, and don't seem to mind if your shoes come untied (one of these days I promise you will trip and fall and hurt yourself--but I bet you will care about keeping them tied after that).  You love celebrations, themes, consistency, going out to brunch after church, and never ever (ever!) forget a single detail about anything.  You fill our home with energy, sparkle, creativity, and love. I pray this is a year full of new experiences that you learn from, people who challenge you and help you grow, and blessings that only come from knowing Jesus. Happy Birthday, Number One. Love you, Jilly Girl. Cheers to 7!