OLIVIA IS SEVEN!

I’m rounding the corner on a decade of being a mom. Olivia, my dolly girl, is seven! Seven?! And I can feel it — before I can wrap my head around 7, we’ll close in on 8 and then, boom, she’ll be 10. A decade of mothering, starting with my Olivia. Oh I love Olivia so much. Some of my favorite things about her sassy and sweet 7-year-old self…

Olivia is strong. Physically, emotionally and mentally. She has soared in gymnastics last year. Not that it comes easy to her — it doesn’t. She has to work hard at gym, which is one reason why she says she loves it (“Hard work feels so good, Mom.” Ohhhkay, sis 😍). Olivia has massively creative ideas. She comes up with all the imaginative games and then leads the troops out in playing them, both at home and at school. Olivia is smart and is a major reader (she read almost all of Roald Dahl’s books this last summer). She is talk-a-tive! She and I have a good pillow talk sesh every single night. She talks, I listen. Eventually I tell her it’s time for sleep. She says “Okay. One more thing –” and then we talk some more. And then some more. 🙂 She says the sweetest prayers, looks out for the underdog, builds her sisters up, gives the biggest hugs and has the best belly laugh on this planet.

She asked for a friendship bracelet maker this year and a Saranoni blanket. We tossed in a couple more gifts (presents mean a lot to her) and Sis was as pleased as ever. Her party request? It was easy: a pool party with an ice cream bar. Two of our sunny and sweet girl’s favorite things…