9 Years Old

The girl is 9.

9 feels crazy.  

How can it feel like a lifetime ago that I held her for the first time, but it went by in a blink?

She made lots of strides this year with swimming and math and archery and fencing and ice skating.

She is an awesome babysitter when I need help.
She is so good to her brother and sister.

She still loves reading more than any other activity.
For her birthday she wanted gift cards to Barnes & Noble.

She loves her birthday and came up with a hundred birthday activities for us to do.
We narrowed it down to a manageable few and saved the rest for next year.

Her big present this year was a fish tank.
We can't get fish until we get home from Florida but she is ready.

The three girls got Pedi's together.
We needed pretty toes for Florida and Johanna thinks going to the "spa" is the greatest.

She had her first sleepover (outside of family) this year with her friend Morgan.
She had a blast and I wasn't even worried about her one bit.
She's a smart cookie.

Johanna got her braces this year.
Every nine year old should have braces.
She loves them.
Of course she read every bit of instructional and educational material
 the orthodontist sent home with her.
She follows every recommendation to the letter.

Her best friends are still Addy, Jo, and Mia.
Although she will occasionally leave her friends for some "alone time".

She still lets me pick out her clothes as long as nothing feels funny.
Sometimes I make her wear tights to expand her sensory palate.
I tell her it's good for her brain.

I could not be more proud of this girl.
Thinking back to the screaming baby that never took a nap, it was so worth it.
She has seriously been so much fun (at least after that first year).

I can't wait to see what kind of woman she becomes.
But for now, I love seeing the sweet girl she is right at this moment.