Double Digits

Taylor,

Tomorrow you turn ten. Actually, you turn ten in a few hours. As I told you today, I have always considered January 19th your birthday because this is the day that I labored the entire day preceding your birth. Today marks one decade since that day. Unreal.

As I am starting this blog post (which I will likely not finish tonight because I am exhausted), I am listening to you and your four friends up in the bonus room: you, Nicole, Julia, Olivia and Ella. The five of you have been together since 3:00 today, and it has been so much fun to hang with you and get a small glimpse into your social life as a 4th grader. The girls came at 3:00, we played Telestrations, we went to a 5:00 showing of "A Dog's Way Home," and then we went to dinner at Riccardo's, a Mexican restaurant. We came back home around 8:30, and you opened presents, we had cake, and you and the girls just settled in for another movie (although I suspect at least one of you is asleep by now). From my observations of you, you are having the time of your life with your girls. It is so heartwarming.

You have grown like a weed this year. I will report your stats after your ten-year well check, but my guess is that you have grown half a foot and gained 20 pounds since your nine-year check up. Your body is changing rapidly... way more rapidly than any other 4th grader we know. I am worried you are going to get your period in 4th grade. I used to be holding out for 6th but now I just hope you make it to 5th. You have started getting acne, you have hair in places I won't mention, your hair smells if you don't wash it enough, and you are wearing a real bra (not just the cute little sports bras that you've had for a while). You are taller than many of your friends, and you are by far the most beautiful. I know I am biased, but I look at you all the time and think, "Wow, my daughter is just gorgeous."

At 10-years old, you are a dedicated dancer, a loyal friend, a hard-working student, a deep thinker, and you have a heart for the Lord. You dance a minimum of 4.5 hours a week and you never complain about it. You will turn on music (thanks to Alexa) and dance around the family room. I love sneaking a peak at your choreography. I can see that you have so much emotion to express, and I just love to see you enjoying dance as much as I used to.

You have many friends through school, and from what I hear, many boys have crushes on you. You will go on and on after school some days, telling me about how annoying all of the boys in your class are. I tell you they bug you because they like you (one of the boys in your class calls you "Taylor the Bullying Pig") and you think I am crazy. When I watch you leave for school each day in your stylish little outfits, I have no doubt that you are a hot little 4th grader.

You are a hard working student, most of the time. Because Julia is in your class this year, the two of you will do your homework on the bus together after school. As a result, homework is not a struggle, thank goodness. You will also use our computer to do research, so I really admire your drive to succeed when you are interested in a project. Unlike your daddy and me, math is not your favorite subject.

You have very deep thoughts for a 10-year old. Sometimes when we are in the car or when I am tucking you in at night, you bring up topics that blow my mind. Recently, you have been studying pioneers in school. You have brought up how people lived back in "those days" on many occasions and your ability to put yourself in their shoes is impressive. A few other times, you have said, "Mom, do you ever wonder why you get to live your life? Sometimes I can't believe that I am me."

Your relationship with God continues to grow. Last summer, you attended summer camp at Sambica and accepted Jesus into your heart on 7/19/18. Since then, you have expressed to me a few times that you worry you are not doing enough to follow God. We've talked about how hard it is to be a Christian in today's world, especially when you have friends from all different backgrounds. But you have shared your faith with some of your friends, and I think that is awesome!

You still give me fits, but not nearly as many. We are much better friends now than we ever have been. I think that you respect my advice when it comes to girl drama and puberty. You have so many questions, and whenever I give you examples of things I went through as a young girl, you just cling to my stories. I am loving this phase because I feel less at odds with you than ever before. I know you will be a teenager soon enough and then you will not seek advice from me for a few years. :)

I interviewed you, as usual, for your 10th birthday. Your responses are below:
What is your favorite color? Teal - it has been teal for a while.
Who are our best friends? Olivia, Nicole, Ella, Julia
What is your favorite food? Avocado rolls, mac and cheese, dumplings, soup
What is your favorite movie? The Greatest Showman
What do you want to be when you grow up? A Teacher
What is your favorite activity? Dance
What is your favorite sport? Soccer
What is your favorite TV show? Fuller House, Livin' Maddie, Best Friends Whenever
What is your favorite book? Percy Jackson series
What is your favorite song? High Hopes by Panic at the Disco, No Tears Left to Cry by Ariana Grande, Back to You by Selena Gomez (you have a list on the wall in your bedroom of all of your favorite songs).

Happy 10th Birthday, Taylor Michelle! I love you beyond all measure of space and time. I am so very proud of you and the young lady you are becoming. Being your mom has been the greatest joy of my life, and I am sad that your childhood years are more than half over. Will the next decade please go slowly?

Love,
Mom

Carload of girls - on our way to the movie.

Dinner at Riccardo's with Nicole, Ella, Julia, Taylor & Olivia

Taylor gave each of her friends a "BFF" bracelet.

Sweet girls!

Opening presents back at our house.

Oreo ice cream cake with the girls.

The morning of Taylor's birthday.

Tommy and I gave Taylor a new bike. Matthew gave Taylor an Instax camera case and Brayden gave her an Xbox One X controller (so Taylor can play Minecraft with him).

We celebrated the big 1-0 at the Cheesecake Factory with Grandma and Pop Pop.