Letter to Nina, 7 years

Dear Nina,

Happy (belated) seventh birthday! It seems with every birthday, you come out of your shell more and more. Gone are the days that you would stand on the sidelines of any activity for what seemed like an eternity before getting brave enough to join. I think elementary school has pulled some of that shyness and hesitation out of you. You seem so much more self-assured and outgoing now. I've loved watching the transformation.

 

I think I comment about your fashion sense in nearly every letter to you which may seem shallow or unimportant, but it is just such a part of who you are. You never leave the house without first accessorizing yourself from head to toe with necklaces, bracelets, hair clips, pins, scarves, belts, boleros, and boots. It is such a treat to see your choices each day.  I've gotten much more relaxed about letting you out of the house the way YOU want to be dressed. It is such a fundamental way that you express yourself. Your fingernails and toenails are always painted in shades of purple, blue, green, or hot pink. For your birthday, you only asked for three things: "diamonds, rubies, and pearls."  At least you have good taste in jewels!

 

You are currently trying to grow out your bangs. I'm so tired of seeing your hair in your face, but you are quite adamant about "long hair and no bangs." When you get your mind set on something, there is no changing it. You are stubborn, persistent, and unwavering in your decisions.  You'll be a strong woman one day.

 

Despite your initial enthusiasm with jump rope, in the last month or two, you have not been excited about the single rope part of class. You went so far as to fake an injury one week to get out of single rope. You whined, moaned, and complained about your ankle while sitting on the sidelines for the first thirty minutes of class. I was 90% sure you were either faking it or blowing a minor injury out of proportion, but nothing the coach or I would say could get you out there. I finally asked, "Are you going to jump when double dutch starts?" You said yes, and the minute the class switched over to double dutch, you were miraculously healed and jumped right in.  We decided together that it was time for a break from jump rope. You still jump quite a bit at home though, so I hope that one day you'll go back to lessons.

Your current favorite activity is playing Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Wii with your dad. It certainly isn't the most educational, athletic, or creative endeavor you could have chosen, but the two of you have so much fun together. I think it is good for the middle child in you to have that special bonding time with your dad. It is hard competing to be "Daddy's little girl" with two other little girls in the family.

Your relationship with Elise is the same as always - best friends one minute, pushing buttons and fighting the next. Day to day, we never know what to expect from the two of you. You definitely seem to live at the extremes. I see glimpses of the kind of best friends you could be as adults though, so I have my fingers crossed for the future. With Addison, you have more of the good times, but the sibling rivalry with her is definitely beginning to rear its ugly head. I guess now that she is three, you have decided she is fair game for tormenting.

  

Nina, you have an infectious smile and laugh. You are growing up fast, but I am enjoying the ride. Keep being you!

 

Love,

Mama

 

Comments

[Olivia]

I guess 7 is the age when most girls decide that they want to grow your bangs. I know I did (although I didn't win that battle until a couple years later), and my youngest sister started at about that time as well.
You sounded so much like my mom with "I'm tired of seeing hair in her face" that I couldn't help but smile.
Maybe you can convince her to write me a letter for my birthday. I emailed her one of yours and asked, but it's been 4 months... :)
I want to have her records of my teenage years for when I have my own daughter(s).

[Queenie]

Happy belated Birthday to your girl! She looks so happy!

[Audrey]

I love these letters! Just wanted to say, i've played through Super Mario Galaxy 2 and there are actually quite a few puzzles that i think are pretty good for developing problem-solving skills. Just my two cents. (-:

[Ann]

Olivia... keep bugging your mom! I bet you can get her to do it.

Audrey, thanks! Love that you found some redeeming features to Mario!! :) I'll keep that in mind... "The video games are rotting her brain... she's learning valuable problem-solving skills!" :)