I still can't believe I have a seven year old. I know I'll write the same thing next year about having an eight year old (WHAT!!) but seriously, how did this happen? She doesn't look seven but she acts 17. We've got a lot of spunk, drama, attitude, and enthusiasm wrapped up in those 46 inches of Sadie.
She sometimes likes to be silly and will often talk like a baby but behind all that, Sadie is as sharp as as a two edge sword. Nothing gets passed this little one. She notices if Jack got four carrots and she had to have 5 (I don't count...just grab a handful and put them on their plates). She observes and listens to EVERYTHING Chase and I say to one another. We've entered the stage where we have to be very careful what we say around her. I've had her repeat word-for-word conversations Dad and I have had in the car when we think she's listening to music or playing on the iPhone.
She loves her morning snuggles and is always hoping carpool will be late so we get an extra five minutes of her wrapped in my arms as we watch out the window for her morning ride to school. She longs and cherishes the moments when George will snuggle with her (who wouldn't...he's so squishy!). Whenever G wakes up from a nap she BEGS me to be able to get him out of his crib and play with him in his room before I come up. If I'm not in the room, G will sometimes sit on her lap to read a book or snuggle with her for a bit.
She told me the other day that she's in "charge of the kids." As the Mom, I'm in charge of the family but she is essentially the "mom" of the kids. She loves bossing everyone around and Jack likes having someone with an agenda to tell him what to do. I heard her yell "Jack Etherington Cannon, what do you think you're doing?!!" the other day. They'll often team up against me and confer upon each other for support. "We're not going to church today, right Jack?" Because if Jack agrees then it's pretty much set in stone. I love that they team up though, even if it's against me, because I just love seeing them get along. I overheard her using her power of persuasion with Jack the other day. She can pretty much get him to do anything if she says "superheroes do it too." I also heard her say "Jack if you want to be a superhero you can't knock down the picture frames with your ball." She's kind of like the old lady on Monster's Inc. who's "always watching..always watching." and makes sure everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing. I just love her!
This year she got her cinnamon roll in bed but was awake and dressed before we got up there. This happens every year. Nothing gets past this girl. I'm surprised she hasn't figured out Santa and the Easter Bunny yet. Of course, she preferred to eat everything downstairs with the rest of us because who likes eating alone in their bed on their birthday? (ME...ME...ME!!!)
I spent quite a bit of time the night before making and decorating these cupcakes for her school class. I know it's probably a waste of time but they were just too fun to make and I think they turned out pretty darn cute.
It might have stung just a little when the kids pulled out the toothpicks, threw them on the floor and devoured the cupcakes in 20 seconds. Oh well, at least they were fun to look at the night before:-)
Sadie didn't take her crown off the whole day and when we arrived at P.Terry's (her restaurant of choice) the cashier gave her a free cookie for her birthday!!
So normally this time of year TOTALLY stresses me out. I have two birthday parties to throw and I decided that this year we'd only do "even" birthdays. Sadie was turning seven and I had a little chat with her about the fact that these parties are kind of stressful and that they were only for the even number years from now on. She was pretty accommodating especially after I told her we'd get her a new scooter instead of a party and I felt totally relieved when I went to bed that night. Then I started thinking about how little she is still and how she won't always want to have a party in the years to come. I called my mom and she made me feel even more "mom guilt" for not throwing her a party. She suggested surprising her with a smaller party (ya right...I don't know how to scale down) because like I said "they're only young once." So on her birthday I didn't make a cake because she had already gotten a shake and cookie from P.terry's (and I knew she'd be getting a big one at her party a few weeks later).
It was hard not telling her about her party. Sometimes she would get really sassy and I couldn't remind her that she should be nice because I was "throwing her a party." I was pretty amazed with how contented she was to have a simple celebrating at home with our family. Her favorite gift was her snorkel and flippers of course.
I just love this little girl. She's always up for a dance party and is constantly giving me an update on her loose front tooth (it looks hilarious hanging in there:-) and the pictures she's drawn.
Sometimes I look at her sleeping at night and can't believe how calm, beautiful and serene she is. During the day she's pretty much a spazz but so fun to be around and gives me a HUGE hug every time she gets home from school. Jack anxiously anticipates her arrival as well and the dynamic duo are inseparable the rest of the afternoon.
She loves my iPhone and if I'm not watching over my back she's usually watches me put in my passcode (we have to lock them because they disappear throughout the day and are often found attached to little sticky hands under covers or in dark closets..little stinkers!). She memorizes the code and stores if for the next opportunity mom mistakenly leaves her phone unattended. However, I do get some great pictures when this happens. I "photobombed" her in the one below. Like mother, like daughter.
The other day she was complaining about going to school because it was "SOOO BORING." I asked her why she didn't like school and she said "because I have to work ALL DAY!!" I responded that I had to work all day too and so does Daddy. She shot back with "No you don't! You get to sit home and play on your phone and play toys with George and Jack all day." I think my phone must be the "Holy Grail" of toys because I get full access when she is only granted usage in desperate situations.
There she is on her new scooter. Her "not having a birthday party" substitution gift. I'm such a sucker!!
She's still the shortest one in her class but also the sweetest and most adorable too.
Love the knee pop. She never volunteers for the "speaking parts" in her plays at school so even though we never get to hear her say anything, we love watching her just look cute in the corner:-) Good news is, she's always put in the front row because she's the shortest, so during the dancing part she was front and center where we could get a good look at her! She says school is "so boring" but her smile and stellar report card tell a different story.
Did I mention she's a sass? I love this picture of her. It perfectly shows her little stinker personality that comes out every once in a while. The other day she was being super sassy and I told her she was "dramatic." She immediately snapped back "I AM NOT DRAMATIC" (very dramatically I might add). She must not know what it means yet:-)
Practicing the piano has taken many different strategies and attempted threats to a peaceful and productive 30 minute session. There have been times I've felt completely "at a loss" as to how to control and harness the negative and positive energy that she exudes while practicing. It definitely brings out the worst in her, but on the flip side, she LOVES playing the piano and loves even more to perform for people. I've made her write a contract that states I get her Clifford and Bahhs at night if she "talks back" and doesn't behave. I've tried using the kitchen timer that starts at 30 minutes and 5 additional minutes are clocked on for any additional sass (we were in there for 2 hours one day...well.. she was).
Most recently we've explained to her that these lessons cost money and if she wants to continue to take them, she needs to work for them. Everyday she has a certain number of chores. If she doesn't do them, she has to pay me for her lessons. She got some money for her birthday and it now belongs to me. I'm going with the "I appreciated college because I paid for it approach" and it seems to be working but the hardest part is just getting her up to the piano every day. It has certainly made me appreciate my mother for all the practicing she did with us kids. I was a total sass as well and probably deserved a spanking..or two. Practicing is definitely our biggest challenge with Sadie at the moment because I hate wasting money and I want her to really excel if I'm paying a certain amount of money for her to do so.
She had her spring recital and did wonderfully! You can tell in this picture she was a little nervous but you would have never known when she got up there. She had amazing confidence and played beautifully. These concerts are the end goal and are so fun for her. She really shines in the spotlight and we couldn't be prouder!
At the beginning of the year I had a hard time getting her to read "for fun." I always read with her and I guess I'm not very fun because she never wanted to read. Mimi was always sending awesome series for her to read but she was never interested unless I wanted to read them to her. After Christmas when she got her journal I told her she could stay up a little later on school nights if she was writing or reading. This ended up being a stroke of genius on my part (doesn't hasn't often folks and I'm still waiting for the genius to show up in the piano department). Sadie whipped through her whole Ivy and Bean series (9 chapter books) in a few weeks and will read anything she can get her hands on as long as she can "stay awake" later at night. We've set up a little reading lamp in there and I love giving her a kiss goodnight and watching her from the doorway as she dives into her next book. Adorable little thing!
I love this little girl so much. We definitely butt heads sometimes but I wouldn't trade her vibrant, sassy, and confident little personality for anything. She's our little firecracker and we wouldn't want her any other way! The older she gets the more her "S" lisp goes away. It makes us a little sad because she sounded so cute whenever she used to say "schooper" or I'm "Schadie." She told me the other day after hanging out with her buddy Peterson "Mommy, when I grow up I'm going to be so beautiful and all the boys are going to love me." She'll come into my bathroom after brushing her hair and remark on how soft it is and ask to be lifted up to see her shiny locks. She's girly but not "super girly" and I think she said that "all the boys were going to love her" because she overheard Chase and me talking about how because she's so athletic and fun she's bound to have a few fans along the way.
I asked her while sitting in bed if she would fill up my water bottle with ice and water (because sometimes she loves being my little servant). I told her I would "love her forever and always" if she did and she said "you'll love me forever and always anyway, even if I don't fill up your water bottle." She's right!! She really is a delight and so exuberant (even if she won't fill up my water bottle sometimes). We love hanging out with her and having her in our family. Happy Birthday little Lady!! Not tall enough to ride the slide at the Circle C pool yet, but old enough to rule the world!!
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