Happy 7th birthday, Mae! The best part of this year has been watching Mae's independence grow. She has her own activities, her own friends, her own secrets and inside jokes! She's building a whole life in her own world and we have front row seats to watch it all happen!
Mae has been really busy leading up to the end of school. I'm looking forward to it slowing down a bit this summer!
Mondays are for track practice. Her season just wrapped up, which means no more early Saturday track meets! Mae tried out all the events this year, but her favorites were the 50m dash and the long jump. Her free-flowing hair always makes her easy to spot on the track because she refuses to wear a ponytail.
Tuesdays are for CCD. Mae loved the calm, Montessori-style classes. She learns Bible stories and prayers while she also painting watercolors, singing, and arranging flowers. They had a family prayer service to wrap up the year, and Mae was asked to sing along with two other girls. She was nervous but very excited to use a microphone.
Wednesdays are for gymnastics. Mae's cartwheel and handstand skills have grown so much since she started last year! She has gained a lot of confidence on the beam, but her favorite activity is the vault. She was excited to show off all her skills at the showcase this spring!
I think gymnastics has helped with her resilience and determination, too. She went to a birthday party a few weeks ago and had the opportunity to do some climbing in a harness. At the top of her first obstacle, she froze in fear and I had to help her down. Instead of asking to go home, she immediately got in line to climb the next wall and made it to the top (and back down) with no issues!
Thursdays, Mae finally gets a break from all her activities. She likes to wind down after school by playing games on her Kindle. She loves reading and cannot let a new book sit unread for more than a minute. Her favorites are still graphic novels like "Catstronauts" but she has been spending more time on chapter books like "Critter Club" and "Boxcar Children." She secretly reads books in bed after we turn the lights out at night, but we secretly love it.
Friday mornings are for choir practice. Mae's choir season just wrapped up with their big spring concert. We loved the Beatles theme (although I am looking forward to not having "Yellow Submarine" stuck in my head every day).
Friday evenings, we're all worn out. Usually that means homemade pizza and TV or movie night. Mae and Colin still watch a lot of "Octonauts," but also mix in "Ada Twist, Scientist" and "Bluey." We just introduced the kids to "Star Wars" and are slowly working our way through Episode IV. Mae is absolutely fascinated by "the force" but also frustrated by its limitations, asking "Why can't they just solve the problem with the force??" Hey, I don't make the force rules, kiddo!
Weekends are for play time! She has an amazing little group of friends on the street that she seeks out whenever she gets bored at home. They like to play pretend or American Girl dolls or to just roam the sidewalks wearing silly costumes and making ghost noises. Things like that. Their latest endeavors have involved putting on elaborate "shows" with sets, costumes, props, scripts, and music. So far, we've watched one about an astronaut befriending an alien, and one about princesses going on an adventure.
This morning, on her birthday, she came downstairs and immediately sat down at the little table in our kitchen and drew out this whole picture before even coming in to say "good morning" to Colin and me on the couch. Can't wait to see next show; looks like it'll be about superheros that "fhit crim!"
She also spends a lot of time making signs for our house. There are currently papers taped all over the house with important information like "steps for boo-boo" (followed by a fairly accurate list of first aid treatments) and "Find hurt animals? Take to play room (vet)."
We celebrated her birthday this evening with a specifically requested dinner of hot dogs, cantaloupe, chips, baby carrots, and strawberry ice cream cake (my first attempt at making an ice cream cake). She was excited to open her gifts, especially the Tamagotchi, Kittycorn, and Playmobil petting zoo from GranE and Batman.
We love you so much, kiddo. You are turning into an awesome person! We can't wait to see what year eight brings for you!
