Olaiya June

Tomorrow my first born turns seven.

Seven.

I thought this last year when she turned six, that six sits squarely out of the toddler years. You think of little kids as ages 0-5 or 2-5. Preschoolers can be five. But no - six - that's a school aged kid. No more dimpled hands or cutey feet. You've got a full blown kid. And now she's seven. She's in first grade! It's all just sort of hitting me. Sometimes I look at her and think along these aforementioned lines - she's so big! And of course it's easy to think when she's my oldest. But other times, when she's standing next to Kurt or in her pajamas or other fleeting, fleeting moments, I see her as a little kid. And I try to grab that moment with both hands and hold onto her littleness in my mind. That I not allow her to grow up too quickly in my perception. That I not expect more of her than I should or pass by her innocence too soon. I pray that I can see her more often because I long to cherish my daughter versus just endlessly telling her what she needs to be doing.

Olaiya. O. She is an entertainer. No one is better at pulling a smile out of a Naomi frown. At night she sings herself, and her bunking sis below, to sleep. She quotes lines from her school's performance of Fiddler on the Roof and is so stoked that she got an actual copy of the script, which she keeps in her bed. For Spirit Week at school in February, one of the days was "How You See Yourself in 20 Years". Fresh from viewing the Super Bowl days before, she proclaimed, "Mom! I want to be a Black-Eyed Pea!" Fergie it was. In her report card, her teacher called her "a creative force". As I type I'm realizing I need to ask her what that looks like at school. At home, the songs she makes up, whether she's playing with Matilda or with her dolls during a "game", are my favorite.

Unlike her mama, who will naively dance to anything that has a good beat and be shocked to later learn the lyrics, just like her papa, she is quick to memorize. Kurt and I feel like we are a little late to the party, just having a conversation this past week that we need to harness that gift for good! Thankfully, Gramma gave the girls a great cd years ago called "Hide 'em in Your Heart" that sets Bible verses to melodies, so by grace, they've got some good ones down. You know, to accompany every word of Dynamite, the first grade pop song d'jour. She has really enjoyed all the Bibles we've given her so far - first The Jesus Storybook Bible (which if we haven't recommended to you and you have a child age 4-7, we are remiss - it's outstanding. I picked it out years ago because it was pretty. Kurt read it and said it's the most theologically sound children's bible he's read. Hands down our favorite.) and now The Picture Bible, which I call the comic book bible, or as the cool kids would say, the graphic novel bible, which is closer to the Bible in its entirety and she cuts her newly-reading-teeth on the words in those speech bubbles. I love, love that that's what she asks us to read every night.

O is a words of affirmation girl. I am several chapters into The Five Love Languages of Children. Though I have long identified myself as the same, I have so much to learn about how to better love her in that language. All is right in her world if mama has the right tone in her voice. I am able to build her up - or rip her down - with just my words. I pray that I can encourage her and consistently communicate to her how much she is loved, by me and her Father.

A self-portrait from a few weeks ago. Love her baby-looking face!

And zoomed out - love this girl.

Of course I didn't catch this until 3/4 progressed, but it gives you a flavor.

Happy birthday, Olaiya June. I am so thankful to call you mine.