My Big 6th Grader

Dropping her off at the Middle School reminded me of taking her to Kindergarten. I was weepy both times. Both times she said, "Good Bye" and ran along without me. I look at her sometimes and literally wonder where does time go. How can she already be 11 years old and not 2. Makes me want to shut her in the freezer to just slow down the time. Especially since we are on the cusps of the "Dreaded Teenage Years".

Ariel says that she is stuck in the house with Adults and Babies. I thought about that for a long time. And you know what? I agree. So I decided that I would just have to make more time for her and I to hang out or make myself available for her to just hang out more with friends.

On this day, however it was just her and I making a run for ice cream. My camera came along too- he he!

So quiet and thoughtful. She reads alot. She can finish a chapter book in about a week. This is in addition to homework. I never have to tell her to take time to read. Also reflective and conscientious. She's not really a risk taker, she likes to know all her options before ever making a decision. It reminds me of when she started to walk. She would always stand but no amount of coaching would make her walk across the floor without something to hold on to. She comes back and apologizes for acting out. I can hardly believe this, because I certainly wasn't doing that at this age.

Most of the time, she is a really good big sister. She looks out for Cailin- making sure she is safe. However her patience is really short when it comes to Cailin and her room. She rarely allows her into her personal space.

She LOVES chocolate! This is the smile I got when confirming that it was ok to have chocolate ice cream. This child ate at least 40 chocolate bars in two days. She wiped out all the Halloween candy in the house.

She has recently decided that my skills for picking out clothes were inadequate. Over night she has decided that I don't know how to dress her and she can do a much better job.

Which leads us to these shoes. I cringed while her face just lit up over these shoes. I am giving her the space to choose what she wears. My only stipulation is that it is neat and age appropriate.

Love you sweet sweet Ariel!