Grace at Seven

-Grace is in first grade at Eagle Bay Elementary. She has just started Spanish Immersion and is loving it. Her teachers are Ms. Blanco and Mrs. Brimhall. She sings the months of the year in Spanish and does them with the hand actions of the Macarena. It is so cute. She has learned so much and hasn't been frustrated by it at all.

-Grace loves to play with Claire and Dallin. She and Claire are sweet friends and love to play princesses, play dough, library, office, house, bakery, you name it. They are always dressing up and trying to get into my makeup. Grace and Claire share a room and it has been a great thing for them. They really look out for each other. When one is flipping out and being dramatic, the other one usually stands up for them and tries to help them feel better. They always advocate for each other when James or I are trying to teach them or discipline them. When we play pretend, we call each other and start with, "ring ring ring" and then the other person answers. It makes me happy. I love to see the little friends they are becoming.

-Grace has a very strong personality and is very much the boss when she plays with her friends. She acts much older than her age and is motherly to her friends. She does know how to listen to them and help everyone feel included. Even though she has an intense personality, she has the biggest heart and shows love often. She shows love to me every day, by drawing pictures or just giving me hugs. She still loves to sit on my lap and snuggle in bed.

-Grace walks to school or rides her scooter with our next door neighbor, Blake. They are fun friends and love playing together. They love Shopkins, walkie talkies, playing kitty (where one person pretends to be a kitty and the other is the owner), and playing house.

-Her biggest complaint in life is that we don't listen to what she has to say. "Why do you never listen to what I have to say?" I really try to, but the truth is, she doesn't always want to listen to what we have to say. ;)

-Grace is smart as a whip and doing very well in school. She is in an advanced learner program and is loving it. She reads much higher than a first grade level and loves to learn. We have spent lots of time at home reading, learning, exploring, cooking, and fostering curiosity about the world. I try to answer all of her questions completely and she has a mature understanding of many things. Today she asked about Autism and Asberger's and we had a very honest discussion about the struggles some people have. I love to watch her mind think. She has a huge vocabulary and has from the time she was very small. She has great definitions when you ask her what things mean. Oh my goodness, I love my Gracie girl!

-Sometimes Grace wishes that she was the only child. James and I take her on mommy/daughter and daddy/daughter dates. She loves to go with James to In-N-Out burger and she loves when I take her ice skating.