Keely at 6 1/2

 

Ah, Keely…another 1/2 year. You're on your way to seven. That hurts me. If you get any taller you will look like you are 12 though. Seriously. You have the longest legs and we don't know where you inherited them from. You are lanky and lean and leggy. You are so very active and often hyper. You currently love to go shopping. You bring your money and purse and must buy something when we go to a store.  You have to pay for it yourself without my help. You also love putting on shows for us and singing loudly. Sometimes you get all dressed up in ball gowns for your performances. You love all things that are fancy and glittery.

We watched the Sound of Music over Christmas (an annual tradition) and you became enamored with "Maria". You two have a lot in common. You learned several of the songs by heart and are still singing them daily. I am quite tired of "The Lonely Goatherd" although I am impressed you can yodel and know all the words to that song.
You are doing well in school. Sometimes you get in moods and act quite lazy and floppy, but when you do what we are working on you excel. You absorb and listen even when I think you are not…usually days later you spit back what we learned about. You can read wonderfully and your writing has improved dramatically. Suddenly you are very interested in writing neatly "like a grown-up" and filling up a page with sentences. Your favorite thing to learn about is historical figures. You can't get enough of Christopher Columbus, Ben Franklin, Copernicus,  Mozart etc. When I am finished giving you the material/info. that I have, you get upset that I don't have more. Your least favorite subject is math.
Homeschooling is a bit of a challenge now. Milo is very two and needy and not napping on a regular schedule. You and I have limited time alone and when we do, we devote it all to school work. This has left "us" little time to be together. When Milo is awake he is often all over me and won't let us work on any reading or projects. He steals our goods and throws our books.  I am sorry that we don't spend much time together just being.  I do see the current problem and I am trying to figure out how to give everyone here what they need. We took this week of school so we could spend more time playing together and what a difference that made for us. You do still need me and sometimes I think you don't.  I am glad that you do. I need us too.
 You try hard to get Milo to play your complicated games, but he usually he won't have it. You are frustrated by him. Thankfully, you two do still give each other hugs and are sad to be apart.  When I take you to your co-op classes, Milo is so upset to leave you there.  He constantly asks if it is time to go get you yet. He runs to hug you when we pick you up.  We may drive each other nuts when we are together, but we are quite sad to be apart.
Winter is always rough for us. Lack of sun and outside play is a bummer. Cold weather gets you frustrated about clothing.  You don't like having to have your body covered in clothes and we have such a hard time finding things that feel good on you. This winter has also brought on some kind of seasonal/indoor allergy. Your nose is pouring constantly and making life more difficult for you (and us). We finally put you on some medication and it is only moderately helping. We HOPE that it is not something in our new house that is causing your problem. I hope that the warm weather will wash it all away. We may have to move somewhere warmer to overcome this blahs of winter in our family.

Hmmm… move again? ugh.

You still want to be held often and you think it is great for us to carry you, but girl you are heavy.  I try to give you cuddle time whenever Milo is not hanging on me. I am struggling being a mother to two needy babes right now.  I hope that you both feel loved and know that I am trying my best.

I have considered putting you in school next year thinking maybe our relationship could go back to just being mommy/daughter and maybe you would enjoy daily social-ness, but then we have an interaction with local school kids or groups of them and I am getting you away as quickly and politely as possible and you are wondering why all those kids are so mean and crazy.  I wish there was some wonderful private school that I could feel good about you going to near us. I have not found one. I hope I am making the right choices for you. I love you and I only want the best for you. I want you to be free and content and happy. I want you to love your family and know that you are loved. I so often feel like I am failing you. I hope I'm not.
You have always been my little baby. I protected you so fiercely as an infant/toddler and you really did need it. You have always been special and also trying. Many, many people have said you are an Indigo Child. It is odd to hear that from person after person, especially when we don't live in a place that is err, um…hippy-dippy.  Maybe you are.
You are my baby- all your wonderfulness and all your quirks and I am your mommy. I have no experience being the mother of 6 year old you but I'm learning each day baby.  You have a lot of beautiful gifts and I hope that we are fostering them and that you will blossom.  I love you Keely. Happy 6 1/2 big girl.

A few questions for our resident 6 1/2 year old:

Favorite color:  Pink and purple

Favorite book:  All that we read.

Favorite food: Anything junky! Chocolate, Root Beer, and wild rice for one "healthy thing"

Favorite things to do: Play peg people, dress-up, sing

Favorite grown-up show: This Old House

Favorite show: Max and Ruby and The Sound of Music

Favorite toy: Ducky (sleeping buddy), wands and dress-up clothes

Favorite animal: Birds and sheep

What do you want to be when you grow up? A baker, a store owner, a mommy and fancy.