Monday, March 9, 2015

Livi is FIVE


My baby is five years old. She will be in Kindergarten next year and she tells me all the time that she doesn't want to be. She's scared and I can't blame her. She doesn't see the appeal in going to the same school as her brother, but he's been really sweet in trying to reassure her with his past experiences. She's doing well with her letters and numbers and is starting to understand the concepts behind reading. She's a much different learner than Liam. She learns through experiences. My favorite questions are the ones that come out of playing. We were playing with Hot Wheels the other day and she wanted to know why the cars didn't fall down when they raced through the loop on the track. I tried to explain the concept of inertia without boring her, but the only thing that worked was experimenting with different speeds so she can see the results herself.

I often joke that she is the antithesis of me. It's true that there are times that I find it hard to connect to her and her dolls and love of fashion, but the truth is we are the same. No, we aren't the same. She is better. We are both stubborn which, contrary to what people might have you believe, is a powerful quality and one that is hugely underrated. The difference is I tend to give in too quickly and there have been many times where I wished I had stuck to my guns longer than I did. Livi has grit. She has tenacity and she is fierce. Women need to be a bit stubborn in this day and age to achieve certain things. It can be aggravating to deal with when that "woman" is your daughter, but I have to remind myself constantly that the annoyances this characteristic brings me now will be a great asset to her in the future. It's tempting to tame the flame, but instead I try to find the balance that is needed to maintain peace and order in the house while letting her be who she is.

My real obstacle with Livi is getting her to agree to try new things. She is often so much in the mindset of "my way or the highway" that she misses out on opportunities to explore or engage in new experiences. I signed her up for baseball a couple of months ago. She adamantly refused to go for the first 2 weeks claiming she was too "shy" and we left early both weeks. That could very well have been the case, but it's no excuse to stay at home. I made her a deal. We go this one week and we stay the whole hour. She legitimately tries it. If she hates it, we won't come back again. She held up her end of the bargain and we have been back every week since. That's not to say she isn't in her own little world the entire time we are there. While waiting in line to practice "batting", my girl can be seen spinning with her head cocked up, eyes to the sky and singing. Zero effs given about baseball, but she still goes. I think she likes spending the time with me or her dad (it's a parent, kid class kinda thing) and it establishes that being outside and exercising are important so it works.

My Livi Lu is one of a kind in every way; in style, personality, attitude and outlook. She's an entertainer and storyteller who loves to create and experience. She's going to do big things if we can just stay out of her way.

Livi's questions for age five:

1. What is your favorite color? Pink
2. What is your favorite toy? My Goldiblox
3. What is your favorite fruit? whipped cream and strawberries
4. What is your favorite tv show? Sofia the First and Strawberry Shortcake
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? pizza
6. What is your favorite outfit? my witch costume
7. What is your favorite game? Mario
8. What is your favorite snack? party snack; cupcakes, cheetos, juice
9. What is your favorite animal? Elly (our cat)
10. What is your favorite song? Strawberry Shortcake opening song
11. What is your favorite book? I am Amelia Erhart
12. Who is your best friend? Anayass
13. What is your favorite cereal? Rice Krispie
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ride my bike and scooter
15. What is your favorite drink? apple juice and root beer
16. What is your favorite holiday? Easter
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? nothing
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? bagel
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? pizza
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Work in a pet shop
She asked me to add a new one:
21. What is your favorite movie? Big Hero 6