You've officially been double digits for 6 days now! You were so exhausted today after our first week of summer, preceded by all the celebrating after a busy May finishing softball playoffs, starting swim team, and wrapping up the schoolyear, that you asked me if you could go to sleep at 4:30 today. So we decided an early night was in order and your lights were out about 6:20.
We celebrated you all day Sunday and you were very involved in planning the order of the day. You requested softball themed decor at the table, blueberry pancakes for breakfast, to be followed by opening family presents. Then you helped me frost your cake before we had your favorite cheese pizza with orange crush. We watched Holes in the afternoon before getting ready for your art party at Creatif Studio, and finished out the day with oatmeal and House Hunters while Luke was at Youth Tribe.
You also got to take some special trips surrounding your birthday. The weekend school got out we went to Atlanta to take you and Luke to your first MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. You and Luke had so much fun dancing to the music and trying to get on camera while taking in all the sights and sounds at the stadium. Over Memorial Day weekend Daddy took you on a special 10th birthday trip to Greenville, where you got to ride your bike on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. You had the best time and told him the first night that you felt like you'd been smiling ever since he picked you up at school!
At 10 years old,
You are content to play in your room and entertain yourself by playing with dolls, coloring, singing, and using your imagination.
You will play for hours and hours in the backyard with Abril, often requesting to listen to Taylor Swift or Forrest Frank on the speaker.
You have learned to ride your bike and love to ride up and down the street or around Field Day Park.
You want to be a Christian singer and even wrote a song that you perfomed with Abril for our families in the backyard.
You are sensitive to how people are feeling and if I am upset or stressed about something, you will come give me a hug and tell me "Ava" for "I love you." If you have had a bad attitude and gotten in trouble, you will sometimes come find me on your own soon after to apologize.
You got your ears pierced in January. You aren't in the habit of changing out the earrings, but like keeping in the original pair. Whenever we drive by the place you got them done, you excitedly say, "Tattoo Bills!"
You earned SOAR Student for the year out of your 3rd grade class, which was an honor you very much earned and deserved.
You have been working hard to overcome anxiety surrounding bad reactions to gluten that took place over the course of a year. You've come a long way and are enjoying going out to eat more again.
You move at your own pace and I so appreciate how you are not a perfectionist about things.
After initially being afraid of the Nightmare before Christmas, you've really fallen in love with it and are all about Jack & Sally.
You love to go to Carowinds and ride the rides in Snoopy Land. You've also worked up to the Zephyr swings and like the carousel, but cried your way through the Rock-n-Roller with Daddy. You get excited about Luke riding the roller coasters, but have no interest in them yourself!
We sure love you and thank God for you, Nora!
Love,
Mommy
