Mia is double digits. It feels like we've been parents of "little kids" forever, but also not. We find ourselves in a stage now where poopy diapers are gone, and more kids are in school than home. They're transitioning from primary in church, to youth group, and closer to graduating high school than they are to the day they were born. It's a bittersweet stage, but one I'm trying to embrace.
Mia is a one of a kind kid. I mean, I guess every kid is one of a kind, but you know those people who you can only describe as themselves? They're like their own adjective. Mia is that way.
When we talked about what kind of party she wanted, she spouted off probably 10 or more possibilities. And then her eyes lit up and she said "What about a murder mystery like a clue game?" We had taught her how to play Clue over Christmas break, and like most games, she loved it. I'm the type of mom that would much rather book the gymnastics place or have kids go swimming, but there was no denying that she was in love with the possibility of a murdery mystery party. So I set about planning a 10 year old appropriate murder mystery fashioned after the game of Clue. I honestly don't know how her friends felt about it, but Mia loved it. I had the different rooms in our house labeled like the clue game, "weapons", and each guest was a suspect. They took turns accusing each other, and trying to figure out Whodunnit. There was also a healthy dose of snacking, gymnastics stunts, and Taylor Swift.
For her birthday, I picked her up from school at lunch. She's wanted to "try" Starbucks forever (I literally never go there). So we grabbed a strawberry coconut drink and a birthday cake pop for her to snack on before our nail appoinment. She is currently in Hawaii with Grandma, Grandpa, and Isaac so I thought it would be nice for her to get her nails done since she can wear sandals instead of boots. We got our nails done together, and then met Gordon for lunch at Boston Pizza. I think that's the first time we've both taken one of our kids out together (usually one is in charge of the rest of the kids), but with the help of some friends watching B and Lily, we were able to both have the afternoon for just her. The rest of the day was all directed by her. Card games, presents, dinner, movie with her siblings... it was all about her requests.
Mia is a sensitive girl. She's often attuned to the emotions of others, and has the ability to empathize...sometimes too well. The sadness or heartache of others often translates to her own emotions, even if she has no attachment to the situation. She often cries in movies, especially if they involve animals- she is a big animal lover!
She loves gymnastics, and is often doing cartwheels or practicing walk overs and handstands in the living room. She got an aerial silk for her birthday and has been spending a lot of time in the garage learning all sorts of tricks. She also has a love for swimming and the water, and is loving her time in Hawaii.
She is continuing with her piano this year and was quite invested in learning a ton of Christmas songs. I was quite impressed how quickly she would pick them up. Now that we're back to regular songs, she's a little less enthused.
Mia can be endearingly naive sometimes, but sometimes her sharpness will catch you by surprise. We were so tired on NYE that we set all the clocks back one hour. The hardest part was keeping them away from the smartwatches and phones so they wouldn't see the real time. I had my phone open in the kitchen, because I was casting the NYE countdown in Chicago to our TV. After we counted down, Mia came in the kitchen and said "Mum why does your phone say 11:01?" I just mumbled something incoherent about daylight savings time. She gave me a skeptical look and said "It's daylight savings time?" I responded "Well time to go to bed everyone!" and that was enough to get me out of that pickle jar.
Sometimes her naivete, and her lack of filter (whatever random thought comes into her head comes out of her mouth before she processes what she is saying), brings about the most hilarious conversations. This is a conversation we had in the car one day
M: What is beastfeeding?
Me: Huh?
M reading: Women who are pregnant or beastfeeding
Me: breastfeeding Mia
M: what's breastfeeding
Isaac: mum I don't need to know
She adores her friends and always wants to hang out with them. She is definitely my kid that thrives on social interaction. I think her love for people time is one of the reasons Mia adores games...board games, card games, video games. As long as she gets to play with people, she is happy. We play some type of board or card game together almost every night before bed.
For someone who was my latest bloomer speech wise, she has no shortage of words now. She can carry on a monologue forever. You could walk in and out of a room and she will continue on without interruptions, unaware or not caring that you might have missed part of the conversation. Talking is her therapy, and sometimes I just lie on the bottom bunk of her bed and let her just say whatever she wants to get out before bed without making a peep.
She is a big bookwork and will have a number of books on the go at once. She also enjoys puzzles like crosswords, sudokus, and word searches.
She has done a lot of self discovery this year-figuring out triggers for her emotions and the best ways for her to manage them. I'm proud of her self awareness and the efforts she's made to mature emotionally.
She, like her dad, has an exceptionally high tolerance for cold, and I often have to remind her to bring a coat places. Everyone will be fully decked out in winter gear, and Mia will be there with a coat in her backpack, or if it's on, it's certainly not done up.
Mia loves a good time, and is always up for a party or something loud and dramatic. She can also be quite loud and dramatic, for better or for worse. If you are on the receiving end of one of her bad moods, you are unfortunate indeed. She has perfected many versions of eye rolls, glares, and "talk to the hand" gestures, that I actually have to remind myself she isn't even a teenager yet.
Mia is a favourite person of Lily. She loves to go up to her for hugs or asks Mia to "spin" her. Mia is a good helper with Lily and is often one who can calm her down or usher her back to bed. She is amazing with little kids and loves her little cousins.
Mia has an iron will when she has made up her mind about something, and she doesn't easily give up. This year she did her first race with me (she did 3km, I did 10km) and she crossed the finish line with the biggest smile on her face. But really she was just happy she could be with friends and cheer other people on. Mia also hiked up to Pedley Pass this summer with Gordon, Isaac, I and some of her aunts, uncle, and Grandpa. And while hiking isn't on Mia's list of favourite activities, she persevered through all the heights and scrambles that made her want to turn back. She didn't quit. She loves a good adventure!
We are looking forward to celebrating many accomplishments and new experiences with her this year!
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