Seven

Taylor,

I just came downstairs from tucking you in to bed. Seven years after the day of your birth, you are still a high-maintenance child. How I long for the day when you put yourself to bed, or at a minimum, allow me to leave your room without a fight. You are so darn stubborn but so stinking sweet. You are competitive in one moment but loving in the next. You are demanding of my attention but giving and helpful when I need you to chip in. You are a bundle of qualities and characteristics that have given me tremendous pride and frustration.

At seven years old, you are still cute and petite. Your hair is very long right now, and you absolutely hate for me to touch it. We argue about your hair style (or lack thereof) every. single. morning. I have learned to pick my battles with you, so you usually go to school with your stringy hair down or pulled back into a messy ponytail. You are still missing your top two front teeth, although one of the permanent teeth is starting to poke through your gums. You have an incredible sense of fashion at your young age. You put all of your outfits together, and I am usually impressed with the looks you achieve (i.e. long skirts with a tank top and jean jacket, colored jeans with a cute top and scarf, leggings with long shirt and cowboy boots). I am pretty sure I had no fashion sense at your age, so I admire our differences. I told you a few weeks ago that I would let you get your ears pierced on your 7th birthday, but as I listened to you whine and complain when I clipped your finger nails last night, we decided that you are not ready. You are VERY dramatic about little things (you really would have thought that I was clipping your fingers, not your nails, off last night). You enjoy putting on makeup and are constantly asking me if you can wear blush and lip gloss. I generally oblige as long as you do not look like a clown when you leave the house. But boy, do I worry about the teenage years when it comes to hair, clothes, and makeup!

One of your favorite activities is watching TV. You know more about the show selection on Netflix than I do, and I am pretty sure some of the shows you watch are way too old for you. I try my best to monitor what you watch, but I need to be better at it. Based on some of the things you say to me (Mom! Seriously?), I long for the days when Dora the Explorer was your favorite show. Most mornings, you roll out of bed before I am functioning, so you come downstairs before me and turn on the TV. When I appear a while later, you are halfway through a movie... at 7:30 in the morning! My goal for the coming months is to cut back on television and channel your energies into something more meaningful.

That said, you are a beautiful, creative artist. You have art supplies out the wazoo. You spend countless hours on pictures, jewelry, stories, and creations that blow me away. I love all of your artwork and want to save every piece. I know I will look back at your pictures in a few years and my heart will ache at the purity of your love for your family.

You are still a picky eater. Your favorite foods include mac and cheese, pizza, burritos (but only with beans, cheese and avocado). Fortunately, you also love plain yogurt with banana and honey. Oh, and you eat a ton of asparagus. So, I will keep trying with other things, but I probably hear "OOOOHHHH, YUCK!" at least three nights a week when you come to sit down for dinner. But hey, I try! Someday, I hope you will be grateful that I tried to expose you to different types of clean, healthy foods.

I just re-read what I have already written, and I am afraid this letter will not be well received. In case the tone above is negative, let me reassure you - I love you with every fiber of my being!  You have challenged me in ways I was never prepared to be challenged as a mother, but I love you more for it. I know your love is not freely given. Your approval and admiration of me is the greatest compliment (but I do pray for our relationship in the pre-teen years!).

Daddy and I met with your teacher at the beginning of December. One of the first things she said to us was that she wished she had 20 other students in her class that were as well behaved as you. She went on to say that you are a great listener, you do not talk out of turn, you give everything 100%, you are a good friend, you are not exclusive of other children, you think outside the box, and you are a smart cookie. I waited for Mrs. Thomas to give us some constructive criticism, but she did not have anything remotely negative to say! Last week, at your 1st Grade music program, Mrs. Thomas sought me out afterwards and told me once again that she wished for more children in her class just like you. What a compliment!

I am not sure if you have a best friend yet. You are still close with your friend Aubrey from preschool. You love Lauretta and Sadie (whom we met through dance a couple of years ago), but that is mostly because their mom is one of my best friends. You enjoy a lot of the little girls at your school and in your Girl Scout troop, but I don't know if I could single out one best friend. We are having 9-10 girls over on Friday night for your birthday party. I am excited to celebrate you and give you lots of special attention.

You are still a complete pack rat. Your room is full of crap. Whenever I try to clean up your room, I become overwhelmed and anxious at all the junk you have in there. Your closet and drawers are full of big bags, little bags, purses, wallets, and coin purses that contain the most random things: a piece of yarn, a sticker, a broken crayon, a Barbie doll shoe, a couple of bracelets, rainbow loom rubber bands, a couple of coins, some candy wrappers, a random McDonald's toy, and the list goes on. I could spend hours cleaning your room. In fact, I have cleaned out your closet and given multiple stuffed animals, purses, and dolls away, and sadly, you've never even asked about them.

Other quick tidbits:
- You still cannot ride a bike without training wheels.
- Your swimming abilities improved over the summer, but you still have a ways to go. My goal for you this summer is to start jumping off the diving board and swimming across the pool.
- Your reading abilities have improved tremendously in 1st grade. I love laying in bed with you and listening to you read to me! You have great animation when you read your favorite Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems.
- You have a strange fascination with ribbons and love tying things up. I am constantly tangled in booby traps that you make with random ribbons and strings (particularly strings between your closet doors, bed, and bedroom door.
- You love soccer and dance. Jury is still out on skiing and t-ball.
- You asked me back in September if I knew what a crush was. When I responded that I did, you confided in me that a boy in your class, Jacob, has a crush on you.

We had a great time celebrating you at Chuck E Cheese tonight. Daddy flew home from London this afternoon, so you were most excited to see him on your special day. Mimi, Grandma, Pop Pop, Matty, Brady, and I were also there. Matty and Brayden gave you Paw Patrol toys (Skye and Everest figurines and vehicles), Daddy and I gave you an American Girl teaching set and sleeping bag, Mimi and Baba gave you an American Girl suitcase and a science kit, and Grandma and Pop Pop gave you magna tiles and clothing.

We love you, Miss T! I can't believe you are seven. Please stop growing up on me.

I love you always,
Mommy