Holland's 7th

Oh my sweet sunshine girl. How are you already seven? You are such a joy and bring so much light to our life. This particular phase has been a little rough, but we are getting through it (I am writing this months later, and we really did get through it when she started second grade). I am proud of you for all of the hard lessons you are learning right now. It has been a lot for you recently--new sister, pandemic, online kindergarten, moving, new school, new house, having to make all new friends, etc. It is no surprise that this has been rough. You have been trying to figure out your boundaries, and how to make yourself work. This is not easy. I am so grateful for your second grade teacher (Ms. Jackson) for somehow helping you make the switch in your life to see that you can have boundaries and can do work. It was a big deal in our lives, but especially yours. 

Despite the rough patch we have been in, we slowly made progress. For a while you needed to take melatonin to get to sleep at night, but then you managed to start sleeping without it. Then we tried helping you relax at night using children's sleep meditations. That has helped a lot and you still like them regularly about a year later. 

At your 7 year check up you were in the 2% for weight at about 39 lbs. You were about 45 inches tall which is about the 10%. Your BMI was 5.5%. You are tiny and perfect. Recently you have been talking a lot about increasing your endurance which is about the cutest thing ever.  

At Holland's 7 year well check up, it was interesting to see what she was going to bring up to the doctor (what she thinks is going on). For example, this time she told the doctor that she is concerned she might have diarrhea. This could not be further from the truth--she clogs the toilet regularly.

This photo was taken a few months after your birthday. I love your missing front teeth smile!!

 One night Holland was getting out of the bath and we were talking about how Daddy and I had hiked the Y this evening for our date. She told me that we had also hiked the Y for our 3rd date and held hands. I asked how she knew that and she said she read it in the family history book he gave me. She said, "I like reading family history even though it isn't fantasy. Fantasy is more thrilling and daring." 

One day at dinner, Holland wanted to consider the places in the world where dragons could be hiding. When I told her no machines or people had been to the center of the earth, she did a knowing sideways smile at me while lifting her eyebrows. I loved it!

On her birthday we ended up a Smith's, and were picking out some food for her to eat for her birthday. I suggested to add an avocado for lunch, and she said, "That's okay. I already feel like I'm being treated like a king." She was so happy and cheerful about everything despite having to go to the doctor for an ear infection. At least she got to stay home from school! Giving her the sandbox for her birthday seemed to blow her mind.

On another day we went to the park, and Holland ran around like crazy with with a big grin on her face, hat brim flapping up from the force of her dash. "This is a wonderful park!"

I love how Holland says things, "I love you more than rainbows." Later when she was clearing the table, "I am unsetting the table." 

There was one funny exchange we had one day. Holland asked, "Who do you think has a crush on me?" I said, "I don't' know, do you?" She replied, "Well I know____ has a crush on me because Cloe told me and he was saying 'Don't tell her!'." So funny! I couldn't remember what name she said.

Another day Holland said, "I want to talk to Mommy privately. Next week I want to do my chores as a surprise for Daddy. So when he asks where I am just, 'I don't know, I can't find her.' But be careful your words can give away more than you think." She said this with raising her eyebrows at me 4 times. It was so funny!

Honestly, Holland says the cutest, funniest things, like how she engages in a conversation like an adult sometimes. For example, she'll ask John how his day was at work. One day she asked my Dad, "So, have you carved anything out of wood this week?" It is so adorable. 

Another time she asked me "How did your meeting go?" She sincerely asks about various things in your life. We ended up deciding to cuddle in my bed. She wanted to scratch my back and when it made me doze off, she put no fewer than three blankets on me even though the bedroom was 79. 

1. What is Your Favorite Color? Pink and Turquoise
2. What is Your Favorite Toy? I like marble tracks and car tracks.
3. What is Your Favorite Thing to Do? I really like reading.
4. What is Your Favorite Book? I have got too many favorites. I just started Wings of Fire and am really liking it. 
5. What is Your Favorite TV Show/Movie? Hotel Transylvania
6. What is Your Favorite Animal? Dolphin, Deer, and I also like Cats.
7. What is Your Favorite Place to Go? I like cruises and going to Lake Powell. 
8. What is Your Favorite Food? Seven Layer Dip
9. What Are You Good At? I am good at reading and math.
10. What Birthday Present Do You Hope to Receive? A dolphin stuffy. 
11. My Best Friend is? I like Lucy (a girl in my class) and also Sophie. 
12. Things I Like to Learn About? I like to learn about science. I like to find out stuff about animals.
13. What Makes You Happy? When I am in the middle of a good book AND still reading it. 
14. What Makes You Sad? When I finish a good series, and I just want another book in it. hen I am frustrated and have to do chores. 
15. What is Your Favorite Thing to Do? Going on trips. 
16. What is Your Favorite Dessert? Cupcakes!
17. What are You Looking Forward to? I am always looking forward to my birthday, Christmas, and holidays.
18. What is Your Favorite Subject in School? Library
19. What is Your Favorite Extracurricular Activity? Ice skating!
20. What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? Stay at home Mom! And a dolphin trainer. 
21. Where Would You Like to Travel? Bora Bora and Cabo San Lucas (because of the dolphins). 
22. What’s Your Favorite Song? I Know Heavenly Father Loves Me and Taylor Swift Songs
23. What is Your Favorite Board/Card Game? And Then
24. What Would You Buy Right Now If You Could? A dolphin and a unicorn

One of your favorite things this year has been Would You Rather Questions. Here are some Would You Rathers for you to answer: 

Would You Rather have the superpower to Fly or be Invisible? Fly

Would You Rather Be a circus clown or a Lion Tamer? Circus clown!

Would You Rather Eat a slimy bug or be stung by a bee? Neither!

Would You Rather Be a famous actor or President of the United States? President

Would You Rather Be 2ft tall or 12ft tall for the rest of your life? 12!

Would You Rather Have a Dog that barks all the time or Cat the meows all the time? Meowing cat

Would You Rather Ride a Giraffe or Elephant? Giraffe

Would You Rather Lose your sense of smell or sense of taste? Smell

Would You Rather swim in a swamp or jump down a waterfall? Waterfall

Would You Rather lick the bathroom floor or garbage can? Neither!

Would You Rather Be the Funniest Person Alive or Smartest Person Alive? Smartest

Would You Rather Have video games for the rest of your life or Ice cream for life? Ice cream

Would You Rather Hop like a Kangaroo or swim like a shark? swim

Would You Rather Make a last-minute basketball shot or kick in the winning soccer goal? Soccer goal

Would You Rather Swim with Dolphins or Turtles? Dolphins!!

Growth Rates

Clearly this blog isn't as organized as it could be and neither is my life. I took the girls in for their well check in 2017 at various times of the year, but unfortunately wasn't with their birthday like you are supposed to. The year 2018 was even worse. I finally took them in for a combined well check visit and flu shot appointment in mid-November. Neither of these stats I have recorded yet. So here we go.

Eliza 

5/17/17

8 years

49 lbs / 13.87%

49.5 in / 28.95%

11/14/18

9 years 8 months

55.2 lbs / 9%

52.5 in / 32%

Miriam 

10/10/17

6 years

40 lbs / 15%

45 in / 33%

11/14/18

7 years 4 months

44 lbs / 12%

47.25 in / 25%

Holland

5/17/17

2 years

22.6 lbs / 5.44%

34 in / 65.54%

19.25 in / 89.03% (Head Circumference)

11/14/18

3 years 6 months

28.6 lbs / 11%

36.5 in / 12%

Miriam Turns 7

Miriam is here to talk about her birthday: I liked my birthday when I woke up and saw the banners and other decorations. Like the balloons and I liked how my pictures were up and the streamers. And I liked the birthday sign a lot. I liked how it had different colors and a banner, and how the balloons spell 'happy' with the letters.
I chose my birthday food. I had Mac and Cheese for lunch and pizza with watermelon for dinner. For my birthday treat I picked chocolate cheesecake. Next time I going to pick cheesecake except it is going to be white, but maybe not. I definitely still going to pick combo pizza for dinner.

We watched Barbie as Rapunzel before dinner. We tried going to a climbing place, but I was too short, so they said to come back in 6 months. (Mommy was pretty irritated because she was right on the line.)

My birthday presents were awesome! I got three packages of Hatchimals, a basket making kit, a dress, and my best friends necklace that I shared with my sister. I also got a jewelry box that is white with pretend diamond handles that are sparkly.

Uncle Daniel gave her two of these packages of Hatchimals, which was super generous. Lucky girl.

I am going to ask Miriam some interview questions:
1. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation where would you go?
Florida, because I want to see the ocean, and I like the name.
2. I you were an ice cream flavor, which one would you be? Why?
Twist, because I like the flavor.

 3.What is your favorite cereal?
The healthiest one I like the most is Honey Bunches of Oats, not including sugar cereals. Including sugar cereal is Corn Pops because it came with a frisbee, and it tastes really nice.
4. What is your favorite candy?
I like the ones with granola with chocolate chips in them. Like the granola bars that we took to Lake Powell.
5. What is your favorite Primary song?
I am a Child of God.
6. Are you a morning or a night person?
Well, both. Because I like morning, and I like night too.

7. Are you on any clubs or teams? Which ones?

I am on a soccer team. I am in a choir too. Me and my friend Nina have a club. We walk around a talk to each other. It is called the Walking and Talking club.

8. If you were a crayon, what color would you be and why?

I would probably be royal blue because it's my favorite color, and I like it the best.

9. What is you favorite season of the year?

Spring and summer. Summer because of summer vacation and my birthday. Spring because all of the flowers bloom. 

These are my birthday pictures at the park. I like this park because there is a pool and a playground. And after we go swimming we can run down the hill to the ditch where the water goes. It feels really nice, and we can pretend we're butterflies. We also have a vine swing there.
I love being 7. My favorite part of being 7 is starting to babysit Holland with Ellie. I am actually helping.
I might become a doctor when I grow up because I am interested in the body.

You should watch my birth video that my parents made for me for my birthday. I loved how I cried in my birth video. It was so cute! I loved seeing myself as a baby. I loved one of the songs that Mommy danced to in a show with her friends Erica and Tina.