Mathilda Grace is Seven
Mathilda, you're seven today. You always ask when I'm going to blog about you. Today is the day my dear. I'm not sure if I would find myself saying the same things to you each year as you turn a year older? How I remember the day of your birth or the months before your arrival. How I would waiver between the excitement of having a little girl to the anxiety of having a little girl that would grow up and provide more drama than boys. I was no expert on boys at that point, nor am I now, but I certainly had more experience in that department than in the "girl world". We knew to expect a girl the day you were born. We hadn't done that before...known the gender of the three babies before. We knew we would name you Mathilda after your great grandma Fehringer whom you won't meet until heaven. Your name was waiting for you. It had been waiting since September 1998 when Jakob arrived. We would call you Mattie to soften the generation gap of your name and the popular ones for 2003 like Emily and Maddison and Hannah. We thought about calling you Tillie so we could somehow keep the "T and J" names going, but we weren't afraid to break the chain. Sometimes your name still gets shortened to Tildy Grace, but now Mathilda suits you.
Your baptism. September 2003
Christmas 2003.
Summer 2004.
California beaches 2005.
4th of July, 2004.
You're definitely more animated than your brothers. I've heard it's a girl thing. You swagger between being a girly-girl and a tom-boy. You're confident which is a good thing, but I think we'll empahsize the difference between confident and bossy which you can be at times too. You come from a long line of "always-right-stubborn-Germans." Your name actually means "fierce/powerful battler". I told you your name suited you. You used to introduce yourself as "I am Mathilda and these are my boys".
Getting dirty (dirtier?) with the boys. See the pigtails? Summer 2005.
Christmas 2004.
You are a nurturer without being taught, a little mommy to everyone. I love to see Amelia resting on your protruding little hip. (When Nick, the dog was a puppy, you carried him around like a baby too until he got bigger than you). You could probably babysit at the age of seven better than some could at 17. When asked what you're going to be when you grow up, you always quickly reply, "A mom of course". You're a wonderful helper and you have an incredible imagination. There is always some sort of theatrical performance being played out when you're involved. You love nail polish and makeup when you play dressup, and high heels too, but hair? Hair is something that you and I both have a hard time with. You've never been one to keep any of those adorable little hair accessories in your hair, in fact, much of the time you don't even want to brush your hair. You DO love, love, love to play with other people's hair though.
I look forward to sharing important advice with you as you continue to grow up. I'm sure the things that I've shared already are important (girls don't pick their noses in public, the proper way to sit in a skirt, girls can't pee outside like boys can, sweatpants don't go with cowboy boots, etc, etc, etc), but I know the conversations we will have in the future will be much more in the "life lessons" department. I love your outlook on things. I love how you hear things even when it doesn't seem you were listening. I love how you watch and imitate the things that I do and the excitement you have for your daddy when he walks through the door after work. I love that you offer a genuine "I love you" to everyone you love.
Breakfast in bed on the Celebrate plate.
Paper dolls from Grandma and Grandpa.
Your cake request was simply to include Oreos...owls and sunflowers with Oreos as the eyes and the middle of the flower.
...and a chocolate kiss from Millie!
