Notes From The Shoe: NINE

In honor of my oldest turning NINE, here are nine things to know about Caitlin.

1. She used to be shy. Bigtime. In preschool it took her 3 weeks to feel comfortable enough to play on the playground with the other kids. But now? She has become confident, poised and very un-shy. I'm proud of this!

2. She is a reading maniac! I usually go to the library on Monday to pick out books for the kids to read for the week...and by Wednesday, I'm going back for more books for her. Right now she likes Beverly Cleary, all the American Girl books, and the Nancy Drew (clue crew) books. She also likes to re-read books.

3. She still wants to be a chef in Charleston. She and Matthew have created this huge restaurant idea that involves aquariums, slides and seafood (Matthew plans to be the fisherman to catch both the food and the aquarium animals.).

4. Her favorite food is popcorn shrimp. Though fried catfish is a close second. Ew.

5. She is still very fashion-savvy. When she was little, she was always very opinionated about what she would wear (remember the hats?) These days she is just as particular...she knows what she likes and has no problem pouting if you try to divert from what she likes. Yesterday I had to go shopping for her church clothes without her and I was so nervous!! I was so relieved when she actually liked what I chose. (I did involve both sales girls in the decision which took at least half an hour).

6. She thrives on routine...one of the many ways she is like her father. She wakes up in the morning, eats the same breakfast every day, same lunch every afternoon and follows the same afterschool regiment: get home, do the checklist (wash hands, do homework, give mom agenda, put lunchbox away and refill waterbottle). She comes home and gets it done. At night time I don't have to remind her to lay clothes out...it's part of her routine and so it's done. Matthew, on the other hand is the opposite (he's more like his mom). If something becomes too routine, he finds a way to keep it interesting. Sometimes this is a good thing, other times it gets him in trouble :).

7. She still thinks that boys drool and insists that she is NEVER getting married. (again, a striking contrast to her brother who has several girlfriends. Who have no idea that they are his girlfriend.) If you suggest that a certain boy might be"cute", she goes bananas. Hoping I have at least another 3 years of this.

8. She is still a major rule follower. The idea of getting in trouble at school is unthinkable. She is the only student in her class that has never "moved her stick" (the discipline system this year). Last year she did get in trouble ONE TIME...and it just about sent her over the edge. She insists that she was falsely accused. Knowing how much a rule follower she is, I actually believe her.

9. She loves birthdays as much as her mama. Especially her own. And she fully expects a fuss made. In the weeks leading up to The Big Day, she dreamed on several occasions that either mommy or daddy had forgotten her birthday. "It was a nightmare!", she said. And so, we make a fuss. We always try have a celebratory dinner at the beach, and this year she also got to have a spend the night with her best friend. They got to stay up late, eat by themselves at the Mexican restaurant, and have their hair curled. Later in the weekend we had a family celebration complete with cake and presents.

I could go on and on about my girl....but I'll leave it at nine. Till next year :). Here are a few pictures from all the fun: