I told J last night..."One more round of "7 years" and she will be 14." The years passed by so slow, yet so fast, and I feel like I can't waste any time. I had my fingers crossed hoping the next set of 7 years will go a bit slower since we don't have as much "junk" to deal with. You know, being new parents. Newly married. Trying to figure out life. But I have a feeling that no matter what we are going through, good or bad, it is still going to go just as fast. So no more counting the weeks until Christmas. And no more wishing the week away for the weekend.
I know I'm making a big deal about time passing, but this year is a little harder than the rest. I'm usually excited. But this year
... She's reached the age of reason. The age of independence. She knows exactly what she is saying when she tells me she loves me-which is at least 20 times a day. (No complaints.) She knows what she is interested in. What she wants to learn about our do.
Her interests vary greatly. I Love that about her. She is a Jack of All Trades. Like her Daddy who can literally do anything he sets his mind to. She will study a little of this. A little of that. She might set it aside and come back to it later. She likes to take lessons in one thing. Then when she's had enough of that, she'll try another. She has stuck with art for awhile. Anything art really. Right down to music. She draws, paints, creates inventions, edits videos, loves theatre. (Although she would rather watch than be in one. She says the preparation is tedious.) She enjoys looking at sculptures, interpreting abstract art. Heck, she enjoys Play Doh. But the other side of her...the Daddy adoring side of her lives for the outdoors. She admitted to not liking camping recently, but I think it is because all the bad experiences we had with camping or...attempting to camp this Summer. But she said fishing has become way more fun now that she is older and is catching more. She enjoys hiking. Rock climbing. I'm sure she will enjoy Ziplining this October! And nothing gets her quite so excited as anything that has to do with boats or water. Her two Loves. Recently she has become more athletic ever since learning to ride a 2 wheel bike. She really enjoys doing that with me weekly as well as playing tennis. She is improving, but definitely needs more work. As do I. She is a Science Lover - as I'm sure I have made that clear in part posts. And she likes all the normal kid stuff too. Bouncy houses, roller skating, toys...
She spend a HUGE chunk of her day, every day, playing with her Legos and American Girl Dolls. I can hear her through her door. Her Legos are shouting out. Carrying out their plans in an emergency to save animals. When she isn't playing Legos, her dolls are "playing music on stage," doing each other's hair, or "talking" about traveling and other exciting stuff. If left undisturbed-and many times she is-then she could play for hours at a time. Where used to she didn't even step foot in her room. And if she played, she would drag her toys to the living room and beg me to play. Which I did. Most of the time. But I never did play dolls. I just can't get into it.
She's so creative too. When she decides she wants to learn about something, she initiates it and gets these crazy ideas. Sometimes they are too insane for my taste. But who I am to take away her hopes and dreams. I just don't say anything. When she first decided to learn about Egypt she said, "We could fly there and tour the pyramid and see if somebody could show us how mummification works - in real life!" Wish we could have. But eventually she said, "Books! Check out as many as you can! Then we can Google You Tube videos and for my History Fair Project I will just mummify you! How much toilet paper do you think I will need?" Guess we laid a good foundation because now she doesn't even need me to learn unless I'm a prop in one of her demonstrations. Wah. It is a little bitter sweet. I've been waiting for this day. But now it is here and I'm thinking maybe I could have waited a little bit longer.
One thing I do really like about this age is how much she cares for her friends. I mean, she always cared. In fact, she is so sensitive to the needs of others, she cries if she even thinks she upset someone-which she has done. She isn't a perfect friend, but she is a darn good one. Especially lately. She has matured to the point where she cares what others say. She had a sweet friend call her on her birthday. I could hear Sam asking about her tooth that she just lost. And I could see her listening intently to her friend and asking her questions. It was an elementary conversation, but a great demonstration of growth.
The older she gets, the more sensitive she is. But she has this personality that shines so brightly. She is one of those kids that is easily looked over and forgotten in a group. But when she sits down with an adult and talks to them, they adore for her Love for others. She is a chatty girl. Didn't used to be. Never thought she would be. But she is now. She'll strike up a conversation with anybody that is next to her for more than 5 minutes. She tells stories and asks questions about their life. She genuinely cares. She always has a smile on her face. And her own stories are always so animated and detailed. You know what else people love about her? She's selfless. Within the parameters of a normal 7 year old obviously. She probably wouldn't skip a meal to feed someone else she's never met. Most of us wouldn't. But she did give her only cash dollar that she cherished to a local food bank with absolutely no coersion. In fact, I never even suggested it. But she picked it up and said she felt like Good was asking her to give it. So she did. Feeding others is her passion. She always talks about opening a non profit. She'd love to have a food bank or do mission work to feed people in other countries. She has even made plans to begin collecting clothes and canned foods so she can start one "by time she is 9." She is reserved about her Service but LOUD about her Love for God. She has unshakable Faith. Sometimes though I worry if her innocence and naivety will be her downfall as she gets older and her Faith is challenged more. But God will deal with her Heart when she gets there.
She may be growing fast, but she is staying young. I couldn't ask for more. Gone are NOT the days of tea parties and dress up. They are still there. Gone are NOT the days of baby dolls. Those are one of her favorite toys. The days of boys have not come yet. She teased about 2 boys being her boyfriend in the past, but admitted she was not ready for that and it was just that. A joke. (Because it drives Daddy crazy.) She still Loves the playground and coloring books. Martha Speaks from PBS is still one of her favorite shows on PBS. And if I made "ooze" today she would be the happiest girl in the world. So while it makes me sad to think if all the years "gone," it makes me happy to think she is still young. No matter how big she seems to me. Happy 7th Birthday, Samantha-Anne. I can only Pray for 7 more.
Side Note: I have been given special permission to include this in her birthday post. After 3 years of trying to pick a girl name, we have finally done so. I have been set on a set of M names with Marie as the middle because Marie is my second middle name and Lucy's only middle name. (Sam has my first middle.) I've suggested Mercy Marie, Molly Marie, Madilyn Marie, Maygen Marie-That was a name J suggested after S was born. But S and J did not agree on any of them. S insisted on names like Ashlee and Olivia. J had nothing to say except he didn't like those names. Then the other day, while riding down the road, S insisted that the name start with an S like hers. I protested. Then J piped up for the first time and said, "I always liked Sarah Marie." My heart instantly changed. "We can't change it now," I said, "that's the name. " If we ever have a girl, that's her name. The name struck a chord with me for 2 reasons.
1. The story of Sarah and Abraham in the Bible where God promised Sarah a child even though she thought she couldn't have any. If God gives us a baby, I'll feel like Sarah.
2. Lucy's name is in the credits of a movie called, "Arise, Sweet Sarah." It is a movie about abortion and a bittersweet one at that.
I doubt J knew that would be "the name," but some how, on his first go, he got it right. Without even following my "list of requirements." He got it.
Sarah Marie Mays.
Now for pics of the Birthday Girl: 2 More Days Until Part Time!
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