Seven: Part 1

My daughter turned seven years old yesterday. As my mom often says on my daughter's birthdays, x number of years ago, I became a mom. It is hard to believe it has been seven already. Though time flew by as it usually does, so much has happened since she was born! She was born into a little apartment. We now live in our second home. I finished my Bachelor degree when she turned two, five years later, I am almost done with my Master's. We have changed two churches since then and made many new friends. Abby became a big sister twice which she has welcomed without any tantrums. She has successfully completed two years of Russian and American schools and I have seen her emerge from a follower to a leader type.

All these years, I have watched some of her character traits change and others stick. She reminds me of me, but mostly of my mom. Some of the things about her I am still discovering and am happy to know that they are part of her. Others things drive me crazy some days. This is mostly because since her brothers were born, she was made to be older, more mature, the should-know-it-better kid. In a way, it is unfair to be the oldest. There is more responsibility and pressure to be that good example, to lead the way to the younger crowd. I often forget that she is still a kid and am maybe more demanding of her in terms of her behavior than of the boys.

Last Saturday, she was sitting in between my husband and I in his truck while driving to the lake. She was chitchatting, goofing off, teasing her brothers who were in the back. After hearing a few of my signs and stop its she asked, " Mom, am I an annoying kid? The truth is she a kid. Being annoying is part of the kid genetic make up. In addition to that trait, kids are also goofy, bouncy, inappropriate at times, stubborn, curious, clever, funny, and sweet. It is easy more pleasant to experience outbursts of the several latter traits. It is often challenging, annoying and head spinning to navigate through the other ones. The truth is that she is sweet, funny, smart KID and  I am a very proud mama.   I have to remember and cherish that about her and model the behavior I would like to see in her when she grows up. I have to remind myself this often. I am the one who requires most discipline. I am the one who often fails to be a good parent and discipline her with consistency, love and patience.  We've been blessed to have her in our lives for these short, long seven years.    I pray that God continues giving us wisdom, strength, and patience to raise this little girl to be a wonderful woman.

Happy B-day, baby girl!

Love, mama. 

~~~We had a cool celebration of her birth yesterday, once I figure out how to transfer 500 pictures to my very slow, almost no space computer, I will follow with part 2 :)