I like to document each of your personalities from year to year when I can because I often wonder and think about how I was at certain ages. I hope this helps you understand yourself better someday as well as serving as a reminder for all of us on how you were at certain ages and stages of your life. "Remember when...?" 🤗😃
Briella
Your discernment for people, situations, movies, books, music, etc continues to deepen and develop. You've always had a deeply discerning spirit about you and it's a gift. You can read people's body language, demeanors, and moods. You had your first boy crushes last school year (Ethan and Gavin) and with that, you had your first experiences with sadness over it too.
You like validation so much so that you sometimes recycle and repeat stories, feelings, or situations. You struggle with disappointment and you unravel when you lose or misplace something which results in you usually blaming me (Mom) over it. You are a great role model when you WANT to be one, but it's still inconsistent. When that becomes consistent, you could practically run our household, I'm sure of it. I remind you to be content in your situation as discontentment is a weakness for you. Oftentimes you will be in the middle of a meal asking for ice cream or candy. You are a "what's next" kind of gal.
You have drastic mood shifts, sometimes from food, other times from disappointment, failure, or jealousy. You are slowly starting to take interest in your clothing appearance, but your desire for comfort usually wins for you. You wear a ton of layers, you detest being cold, and wear socks with flats and sandals. 🤣 You bring extra pairs of clothes anywhere and wherever you go--downstairs, on quick car trips, to church, in your book bag to school. You teeter between being excessive and obsessive. You also are showing signs of intermittent anxiety, especially when you become fearful in the night or when you feel like you are leaving me. Interestingly, though, in just the past two weeks you are starting to shift to wearing jeans and more "grown up" inspired outfits rather than leggings and comfort clothes. You have been taking my advice on how to groom your hair and understanding how to manage it better.
You are developing in your household skills and you can cook eggs, pancakes, quesadillas, ham and cheese sandwiches, you can cut up veggies, and bake cookies. You came to my rescue when I was sick and made us all omelets and cookies for dinner. You stayed with Nonna when she hurt her foot and served her with food and care. Just yesterday I came home from a job interview to you cooking quesadillas and lunchboxes had been washed. You, Gianna, and I served at the Haven of Rest a few times this past summer and you help me once a month for Hospitality services at church. You have a heart for service and it shows!
You have an exceptional talent with playing the piano and for croquet and knitting. You don't "enjoy" following patterns, though (haha) and you prefer to craft your own creations and you always impress us when you do them, but the fact that you want to do everything "your own way" isn't always how life is going to work out for you.
You are also a very talented horse rider and you go to lessons every Thursday. The barn owner stopped me to praise and give you accolades over your hard work ethic in the barn and how very few and rare and it is for a horse riding student to be so helpful, responsible, and mature. Briella has always been a hard worker so I wasn't surprised to hear that, but very happy for her because she's proving her hard work because she wants a job there when she is old enough to work.
You write me letters at school and it's the sweetest thing ever that you write to me as a friend.
Gianna
You are growing in your ability to "want" to work hard. Oftentimes, you resent having to do your contributions (checklist) and you need quite a bit of motivation and reminders to complete them, but when you work with a good attitude, you are a good worker! You often ask "WHY?!" or immediately make whiny noises when asked to do anything you don't deem necessary to do. Sometimes asking you to brush your hair is the end of the world for you.
You are *trying* to do better with your immediate yelling and lashing out, but sometimes it really rears its ugly, loud voice with Micah being the one you especially yet at the most. You two are the best of friends and the worst of friends. It all depends on your mood, his mood, and whether one of you is willing to submit.
You are becoming more interested in learning about God and your prayers are quite heartfelt and detailed. You also led us in many Bible study devotionals this past summer, focusing a lot of the Beatitudes because you won the "peacemaker" at school last year. When you give me compliments, I know they are sincere because they don't come *all of the time*, but when they happen, they are specific and oh so sweet. Just today you gave me the most unsolicited and sincerely sweet note, which is uncharacteristic of you to do for me so it meant a LOT. You seem to struggle with receiving compliments because when I compliment you, there's rarely a thank you that follows. You are like me in the sense that you don't like to be the "center" of attention. Though, you don't mind attention, but you don't need to have it *all* either.
You still suck your thumb a lot at home and you don't seem to want to stop. You express a LOT of desire to be a baby again, even resorting to baby talking more than usual lately. You do this because you have this fantasy that life was so much better and easier for you when you were a baby because you never got into trouble. Though, when you get disciplined you tend to make it worse than better by arguing or telling us no when you are told to go to your room to reset. You yell, stomp your feet, and slam your door which ultimately worsens your consequence.
You are starting to become more aware of fake versus real and it's causing you to become fearful in the night. You are very upset over thunderstorms when it's dark outside because you are nervous that the electricity will go out.
You have absolutely no desire to be fashionable. You are a simple girl: t-shirt and shorts most days. You detest washing your hair and will argue and cry on days where you just don't want to do it and we tell you that you need to do it.
You have a nurturing, teaching side to you that is very sincere and humble. When I'm not feeling well you will rub my head or bring me a microwaved bean bag. You enjoy being able to teach me or any of us things. Your 3rd grade goal is to be a teacher someday.
You keep clean, organized drawers and put your clothes away daily without prompting. You just learned all the books of the Bible this past weekend. You went forward at church to accept Jesus in your heart last winter.
You don't enjoy playing and practicing the piano, but you are good at it. You enjoy knowing how to do things, but you don't often just go and do them for pleasure except for dancing. You are growing in your love of dancing, most likely from watching your brother dance all of the time. You are starting hip hop dance class next Thursday and you are very excited over it.
Micah
You are really becoming a hard worker. You know the jobs you are supposed to do and can do them independently and oftentimes without an exorbitant amount of reminders. You are becoming a bit of a "hallway monitor" with how you want your sisters or others to follow rules, but you don't always follow them yourself. You LOVE my ticket reward system and you buy extra Nintendo time or sodas with your tickets. You are quite fashionable and can create matching outfits that look super cute. You have a great voice for singing, but have an even greater skill for dancing that has evolved since early summer.
You are learning the books of the Bible through a song I purchased. You are developing your moral and character compass and realizing that certain things people say and do are mean, weird, or not what Jesus would like. You will remind people if they say things like "Oh my gosh"or "oh my g-d" to not say that. You are so sensitive and certain tones of voice, feeling incapable, or being pushed around by your older sisters can really set off your emotions. You are *finally* starting to transition from immediate screaming upon getting hurt (in any capacity) to crying. It didn't matter if someone bumped your arm or if your arm was oozing blood from a gash, you would scream. It became so daily and normal that we began to ignore your supposed-pain screams. I'm glad you are starting to get out of that extreme emotional reaction phase. It was frazzling on all of us.
If you are sent to your room, you listen and do it which is way different than this very time last year when you would cry incessantly in fear and resistance. You will actually entertain yourself in there with coloring, looking at books, or playing with your train set.
You understand Scripture, you love God and were shouting "God loves you!" to every float that passed by at the Blue Tip Parade this past summer. You have inborn leadership skills. You understand "work before play" and will wake up on a Saturday and let me know "I need to do my checklist so I can play Mario."
You went from never walking around the house without a shirt to walking around the house in your underwear and have started sleeping in your underwear as well. You have been taking your own showers for the past several months as well as riding a bike without training wheels.
You do NOT like to sound out long words when you practice your reading. You talk loud--almost always at the highest voice level, even indoors because you are always excitable. You are overall happy, but get your feelings hurt easily as well. You want so much for your sisters to see you as grown up as they are and try to get their approval and attention in anything you do.
You wrote on your First Grade "I want to be a circus dancer" when I grow up so I asked you if you would want to do a dance class and you said yes. When Gianna was given the choice to do a dance class or horse riding she choose dance as well so you both are beginning hip hop dance next Thursday. I can't wait to see all the new moves you learn.
