Happy Birthday, Molly!

  January 5th, 2011 was 7 years ago, so by my calculations...Molly has now reached the age of Reason:  Look out world!  She is a girl with a powerful brain, and meeting her will leave a lasting impression on you.

Molly's 6th year was pretty huge as these things go.  Skills were learned that will serve her for the rest of her life.  Early in the year, she hopped on our neighbor's bike and just took off.  Proving her mother a liar.  Mea Culpa!  I had just told my neighbor (the little boy's mother) that Molly was just not interested in riding a bike after a nasty crash the previous summer when we put training wheels on her bike.  Something tells me this is going to be a trend.  I say she can't do something and she says: Watch Me!  Actually, I'm a pretty fast learner...I'll just stand back and yell: Watch Out! Not so much for her, but the people in her path.

A couple weeks after this, she traded in her bike for an elephant.  Go big or go home is her motto.  And it was a flying one at that!  Typical Molly...

I believe it was around our trip to Disney World that she started to take more interesting pictures than that boring "smile" variety.  Many of our photos have quite a bit more personality when Molly is involved.

Molly has developed into a very fluent reader.  I'm not entirely sure when this happened as she learned how to read without my help (we credit 2 years in speech therapy for this).  As such, she now has an opinion about books from the library.  She discovered Pinkalicious...and let's just say I am very grateful that she can read these to herself.  Note to all parents of girls (and boys) out there: Read Fancy Nancy!!  She is awesome...Pinkalicious is just very....pink....like that lemonade in Sound of Music.

In the last year, Molly and John have become playmates with similar interests.  Play doh, dress-up, and painting are three of their favorite activities.  I encourage dress-up for obvious reasons.

Our Molly-girl is generally up for anything.  She and I took a bike ride in the spring to check out the donut shop that recently opened.  #WillRideForDonuts

She, being only around a math-nerd Mom, is equally excited about Pi Day and other random math facts.  #Don'tChange

One day, she left on a Great Adventure around the block.  She took our camera and came back with many delightful pictures like the above.  Don't worry...she took snacks.  I've taught her well.

Molly is a very self-motivated student.  We technically completed her first semester of 1st grade, but only did school a couple of days a week.  Still aced the final.  Just like her Mom.  #SoProud

Math is probably not her favorite subject, much to my dismay. (She has many interests that she would rank ahead of math...not that she doesn't like it)  But, she is very good at it.  Her favorite way of doing her exercises is when I sit and watch her do problems declaring she will never, ever get them right...and she absolutely nails them.  (See second paragraph)

Molly still enjoys watching Pioneer Woman when we get to watch it, and we both have opinions about HGTV. (Who doesn't? What are those people thinking!)

She is still my sidekick and loves being on team Girl.  When I was knocked out a couple of days with the flu, she made me these delicious pancakes.  Which is good, because I don't make pancakes.  That is a special Molly and Dad activity...though, I don't think he has ever received DAD pancakes.

Molly drawings are regularly featured in our home.  Her imagination knows no bounds...though, her drawings tend to be of girls doing fun things like swimming, sliding, and standing around with flowers. Girls Just Want to have Fun!

Fun like driving a GoKart.

Or staying in on a Saturday Night. (That's my girl!)

Or sporting a Pi Tattoo #YKTR

She is a beauty.

Who is fearless.  She was introduced to a kayak in June and she and Will just took off across the lake.  And came back, so it's all good.

Molly has a huge heart and loves to write letters and draw pictures for people.  On Father's Day, she drew this on the white sands of Destin. 

There was one day, she came out dressed 'as a boy'.  She wanted to know if I thought anyone would realize she was a girl.  I didn't tell her that the pink frames were a bit of a giveaway.

But, she would never want to be a boy anyway.  She loves being a girl.

And, frankly, she is really good at it.

She is good at many things. 

Even subbing in for the tooth fairy when the tooth fairy was inexplicably delayed one night.

This year, Molly got involved in her first organized activity.  American Heritage Girls.  She loves attending and made friends immediately.  As has been her way for several years now.  Who needs organized activities when you can pick up BFFs at the beach, park, or grocery store?

For Halloween, Molly picked out and designed her costume: Tux, my parents' Boston Terrier.  

The years go by fast these days.  Sometimes she looks so grown up.

Other days, she is her silly self and I know we have many more years to go.

She was type-casted in the church Christmas pageant.  Get it?  It was a lot of fun to watch her sing with gusto.  She was put on the edge on purpose, otherwise she quite likely would have stolen the show.  Something her RE director pointed out as she introduced the cast.  That's our Molly-girl.  She and I attended the Nutcracker with a friend and her mom.  When I told Molly we were going, in typical Molly fashion, she wanted to know if she would be in the audience or on the stage.  This is improvement over her assumption for the last several years that she should always be on the stage.  I believe Bill Shakespeare has a quote about this...

Molly is a girly-girl with a mom who is not so much a girly-girl.  But, I'm going to have to up my game because her aunts that could help her live the dream reside in states many hours away.  She and I spent an hour or so one morning trying to figure out how to get her hair to curl.  We had some success Christmas Eve night, and she looked like a doll.  Apparently, there is a chemical one can spray in her hair to maintain a curl for longer than a few minutes.  I need to do some more research into this phenomenon.

We are pretty proud of our Molly.  She is spunky, intelligent, talented, fun loving, and has great love for her family and friends.  And quite a bit of self-awareness.  Last Spring, we attended her cousin's First Communion.  While sitting and reading a prayer book she came across a prayer and leaned over and whispered: This is me!

   Lord, let my family know how much I love them

Even at the times I don't show it.

Happy Birthday, Molly!  I've typed some version of this every year, but we thank God for your presence in our family.  You bring a bit of sparkle to every day and help me grow in patience and understanding as we travel this road together.  I am so proud of the kind heart you are growing, and your understanding of forgiveness and how we all need this in our lives.  You feel 100% with your emotions, and that is refreshing to everyone who meets you.  I love watching people ask you a question and then see the looks of astonishment as you give a thorough, articulate, and completely honest response.  I hope you will always be someone people think of with a smile and an anecdote.  Because, the world needs more people like you.  People that give compliments freely, hugs enthusiastically, and dance with complete abandon!

We love you, Miss Molly!  The table looks lovely, now it is time to make the refreshments for your tea party!