Being the oldest is hard

Here's a shout out to the oldest child in the family--my family, your family, each family. I am recognizing that being the oldest isn't easy! Poor Olivia is our little experiment as Nicholas and I learn how to parent. I am realizing that I both expect too much from Olivia and also don't expect enough. Olivia has made such wonderful strides this year in Kindergarten--yes, in reading, math, and science, but even more importantly in doing things independently, in being away from home for seven plus hours a day, and in making good decisions. Nicholas and I are so proud! She has never clipped down in her class (an incentive in her class for good behavior), her teacher tells us what a good student and good role model she is, and she is increasingly having many more good days than bad, even though she gets uncomfortable when she has a substitute and she has one at least every Tuesday afternoon due to teacher meetings. Olivia's reading and writing skills have REALLY taken off, and I can tell she is excited to be able to read on her own.

Class starts at 7:40, but learning starts before and since carpool is crazy and they won't bus our neighborhood since we are so close, Nicholas and Olivia try to get out the door at 7:05. Sweet Olivia and her big backpack!

Back for one more hug!

Proud of her work!

And her school work:

(Polar bears are the tallest bears on earth. They are 10 feet tall. They are as tall as 2 Mrs. Longs on top of each other.)

And her cheerleading/tumbling:

We are working on the being too hard and not hard enough, and I think everyone is happier! So, here's to my big girl forging her own way in this family and in the world!