Olivia has grown so much this year. Actually, since she started second grade. She’s more big kid, more school-age kid, heading into more tween than little girl and it’s a strange feeling. Nine years ago I didn’t have kids, didn’t know if I would have them, didn’t know if the IVF would work out, and now she 8 and has changed so much.
She’s 4 feet 5 inches, in size 14-16 clothes (but can still fit into some 10s and 12s), and wears size 3 shoes. Her reading has exploded this year, and she’s just…reading now. Just reading a sentence like she’s been doing it for years. She has been loving getting to read in bed after her and her sister go to bed, holding her nightlight up there in her top bunk and reading her graphic novels.
She loves graphic novels. I, on the other hand, don’t, but I’m all about fostering her love of reading with whatever she wants to read right now. Whatever makes her happy and keeps her love of books. She’ll have plenty of time when she’s older to read the books she’s assigned to read in school, but now? Graphic novels it is.
As far as activities, she continues to love taking art classes, though she has done none since the summer. She took a few drawing classes—one for Star Wars and one for Pokemon—and had a blast. She acted in her first play and now is in practice for a play at school.. I can’t wait for it. She loves drawing, coloring, making comics, and even will occasionally practice chaining for crochet.
She’s been in karate for the last year and absolutely loves it. She’s so close to getting her gold belt, and even participated in her first tournament. She started sparring a few months ago, and it’s been a learning curve for her—she’s had to get used to being hit and kicked and do the same to her classmates. But it’s good for her (and the equipment was $300 so. She has to like it for awhile).
She continues to love going to school (something I’m so grateful for) and adores her teacher and teacher’s assistant. Her little group of girlfriends has expanded, and many of them are now 3rd graders. But she also loves the group of boys she plays with on a regular basis. She’s just a good friend to everyone, which is so different from when I was her age. I was so shy and introverted and it’s been interesting (and if I may say, exhausting at times) to be raising an extroverted daughter.
I’ve loved seeing her expand her role as big sister now to a little brother as well. And oh man, does she love him. Both Olivia and Emelia just absolutely adore their brother. She can be so helpful with getting Austin ready, or picking him up when he’s too close to something he can’t have. She loves pushing him in the stroller and sitting next to him during dinner. One night when I was doing inversion therapy on Austin (a nice way of saying I took him by his ankles and lifted him upside down, gently swinging him—great for gas and releasing tension, not so much for explaining to your mother) she asked me if he would disconnect.
She still calls hamburgers “hambuburgers,” calls her spine a “vine” and as she’s been losing teeth—calls the stringy things left behind “vines.” Basically, she still continues to crack me up and don’t worry, I’ll make sure to correct her on all these things before she goes to middle school.
Favorites
Toys: Legos (Harry Potter, Lego Friends, and Star Wars are her jam). Her drawing books, Harry Potter castle, her Nintendo Switch, video games with her dad, and her Pokemon cards.
Books: Her Ask magazine which is science-based, Dog Man, Princess in Black, Avatar, Wings of Fire, Junie B. Jones.
TV shows/Movies: She watches a lot of shows that I have no idea about (all kid appropriate, but just a ton of them. She especially likes Pokemon, Odd Squad, Descendants, and Zombies.
Activities: Karate, drawing, making comics, writing stories, watching TV, playing video and computer games, riding her bike, skateboarding, riding her scooter, going antiquing, reading, talking to her friends on the phone.
Birthday
We celebrated her 8th birthday with just my parents. As I said in Emelia’s 4-year update, she got to choose what she wanted to do, or get, for her birthday, and she got a really expensive present. We got her a Nintendo Switch, and she’s so excited about it.
She got sick about 5 days before her birthday. I have no idea what was going on, but she threw up just twice over the first two days and had a fever for 2-3 days and wasn’t feeling well, but then it went away and she was all healthy and great a few days before her birthday.
We did hard shell tacos and cake for her birthday with my parents and she got to open up the Switch before karate that morning. My parents got her slippers, Lip Smackers, a jewelry box, and a Nintendo gift card, and my sisters got her nail polishes and craft kits. It’s so strange because she didn’t get any toys. I mean, it’s just wild to me, how big she’s getting.
The next night, I made her favorite meal—shrimp fettuccine alfredo, garlic bread, and Caesar salad. She reported back that this was the best birthday ever.
This will be her last year at her Montessori school before going to public school. I know she’s going to adjust well, but it’s going to be hard to leave her friends. I told her she needs to enjoy these last few months at school and then next school year will be a new adventure.
