My Girl is Seven

It was the perfect day for photos and we had a session scheduled at one of our go-to spots.  During a recent drive-by Tracy noticed the nearby field was filled with Fireweed (the purple flowers) and daisies (my favorite!).  She called me about 20 minutes before our scheduled session and asked if I was interested in taking our girls to the field afterwards.  

YES!!! Definitely interested.  I looked over at Jordan who was looking her usual homeless, scrubby, rat-nested self.  It took every last one of my 20 spare minutes to make her presentable.  Thank goodness Grandma Diana had recently bought her some new dresses.

Jordan love love loves to have photo sessions.  She practices posing at home all the time.  Her ideas are usually hilarious.  The other thing that is hilarious is that she CANNOT look at the camera.  Usually she looks at the ground right in front of me.  I have to wait and talk and be ready and when she finally glances up, or just plain opens her eyes, *click*.

We spent over an hour wandering the field, picking flowers and being cute.

A quick outfit change.  I bought this ensemble for family pictures which just aren’t happening.  Maybe soon.  She can wear the same outfit right?

Jordan turned 7 years old this summer and is heading into 2nd grade next week.  I’m excited/nervous about the upcoming school year because Jordan struggles a little bit in school and gets very frustrated and embarrassed about it.  I’m not sure if she struggles more than most kids but she struggles a lot compared to her older brother and that might skew my perspective a bit.

She is a very visual learner and school generally isn’t geared towards that learning style.  Praying for a successful school year.

Such a doll face.

This is an example of not being able to look at the camera.

“Jordy, look at the camera.”

“I AM!”

My girl still loves sticks and straws, an obsession she has had since she was about a year old and could hold them.  During this session I let her pick and hold flowers so that she wouldn’t pick up sticks.

A couple of months ago, Jordan had her tonsils out because they were ENORMOUS.  It has helped her slow eating problems quite a bit, but it hasn’t made her like meat.  She is just starting to recover from a common side effect though.  When she drinks liquid, it comes right out her nose.  Her throat muscles are relearning their job and it’s getting better.  Still funny when it happens though.

Jordy loves learning how to be a mommy.  Folding laundry, unloading the dishwasher, dusting things and wiping down the bathroom are her favorite jobs.  Needless to say, I’m cultivating this personality enthusiastically.

In spite of the joy she finds in housework, she is still THE messiest person in our family; sloppy eater (have you ever combed syrup out of long hair?), dangerously trashed bedroom (have you ever stepped on a Lego?), don’t get me started on outdoor activities. We’re talking grass stains, sand in hair and in underwear, dirty fingernails, bruised legs, ruined clothes and that’s just when she walks from the front door to the car.

The more I think about her, the more I think these photos don’t do her justice at all!  Except that she’s wearing dresses, which she loves and holding flowers and frolicking.  She’s an exceptional frolicker.

This week Jordan learned to tie shoes.  She is the first of the kids to learn because I’m a terrible mother. No really.  They went to the dentist for the first time in their lives two weeks ago.  Jordan was the only one with a cavity.

Current interests include: Girl Legos, Polly Pockets, making paper airplanes, being messy, collecting sticks and straws, picking and eating strawberries out of the front yard, dressing up cute and crazy, playing “store” and “school” with Doobie, putting on makeup, doing her nails, and drawing.

Since she was very small, Jordan has had a really bad habit.  If you tell her not to touch something, she is magnetically pulled to touch it immediately.  It’s worse now because even if we don’t tell her not to touch, but she knows she shouldn’t, she does.  You can see it in her face as it’s happening.  A brief glimpse of internal struggle and then resignation. *touch*

Last week at Jake’s football practice, Doobie accidentally stepped in dog poop.  Daddy turned to Jordy and said, “watch out, don’t step in that!”

He shouldn’t have said anything.

Jordan walked right up to it.  

Stared at it briefly.

And stuck her foot RIGHT. IN. IT.

Yesterday, we had an accident in the kitchen that involved pie falling on the floor.  Jordy walked into the kitchen, said, “EEEEWWWW!”

Than stuck her bare toes right in the pile of pumpkin pie mess.

Her father and I are at a loss.

All the exasperating quirks are what makes my girl, MY GIRL.  She is goofy and weird and hilarious and mostly I laugh and laugh.