Happy 7th Birthday, Julia!

She's 7!!!

Julia's birthday celebration stretched over a whole week! Starting with a family gathering on Sunday to kick things off with the other birthday girl, Alex. Then a birthday breakfast of chocolate cake on the actual day. And we finished the week with a family dinner at our favorite local indian restaurant, Rasa!

All About Julia at 7

•   How old are you? seven

•   What is your favorite color?  Yellow and green

•   What is your favorite toy? Lottie doll

•   What is your favorite fruit? apples

•   What is your favorite tv show? Wild Kratts

•   What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? pizza

•   What is your favorite outfit? Cozy Bunny sweater

•   What is your favorite game? Rock Paper Scissors

•   What is your favorite snack? potato chips

•   What is your favorite animal? bunny

•   What is your favorite song? Roar by Katy Perry

•   What is your favorite book? Cam Jansen

•   Who is your best friend? Elizabeth

•   What is your favorite cereal? Fruit Loops

•   What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ride my bike

•   What is your favorite drink? water

•   What is your favorite holiday? Easter and Christmas

•   What do you like to take to bed with you at night? No-no

•   What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Oatmeal

•   What is your favorite thing to eat for dinner? pasta

•   What do you want to be when you grow up? An astronaut

•   What makes you happy? No-No

•   What is your favorite thing to eat? watermelon

•   What is your least favorite thing to eat? cheese

•   What is your favorite thing to do? read

•   What are you really good at? Drawing and sculpting

•   What is your favorite movie? I have no idea

•   What do you like to do with Mom? Do crafts

•   What do you like to do with Dad? Play SpaceMonopoly

•   What is your favorite sport? baseball

•   What is your favorite place to go? The craft store

Seven was a strange birthday for me. Each year I'm always amazed that another year has passed but this year Julia really seems different. She's more mature, more of a kid who is coming into her own personality and truly developing her own interests and ideas. She's closer to 10 then to preschool-hood. She can read independently. She can write on her own. She can think up, begin, and see a project through on her own (maybe excepting the cleaning part!). She likes quiet time in her room alone to play on the iPad, write, draw, create, or just snuggle with her stuffed animals. She plays Minecraft. She and her friends create plays together - complete with scripts and props.  

But, there's a lot that has remained the same as well. No-no is still a fixture in our lives. She still loves being read to (a good thing because I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon!). She still wants us to stay with her at bedtime. She's still obsessed with space and astronomy. She still loves to swim. And she's still our sweet, blue-eyed, inquisitive girl who is always asking, "why?"

 I love that I get to experience each day with Julia; that I am privileged to teach her and see her accomplishments firsthand. Every day is an adventure around here. We certainly have our tough days and days when everything is "boorrrinnng." But the days when I get to see the pride on Julia's face as she realizes that she can read a chapter book on her own, or that adding multiple digits numbers isn't a big deal, or that she knows a whole bunch about the midnight zone that I don't have a clue about makes it completely worth it.

I'm looking forward to what this year brings!!