Seven Years Old

As hard as it is to believe, my Staley is already 7 years old.  As is my tradition, this is my yearly blog post about Staley at her new age.  At 7 years old, Staley is 46.5 inches high and 48 pounds.  Clothing sizes vary at this age, but she is primarily wearing size 6/6X/7 clothes and size 12 shoes.  Staley has lost 6 teeth, although only 2 of her adult teeth have come in.  Her teeth are very close together, so we are going to see an orthodontist next month to determine how we can make enough room for her adult teeth.  Staley is in first grade with Mr. Garber as her teacher this year.  She is currently enrolled in Stage Kids (preparing for a spring performance of Mulan, Jr.) and Broadway Dance (a new class Staley is trying instead of her show choir).  She also attends Awana on Wednesday nights at a church here in town.

So many missing teeth!

Likes:  Staley loves school.  She loves singing, dancing, and performing.  At home, she and Adelie often put on costumes and perform original plays, generally directed, designed, and starred in by Staley.  Staley enjoys cooking, arts and crafts, drawing, writing stories, and generally engaging in creative pursuits.  Staley and Adelie enjoy playing American Girl dolls and Barbies together. She loves imaginative play--playing school, house, pet hospital, hotel, fairies, mermaids,...  It doesn't take toys for Staley to create her own fun. 

Staley and Grace

Staley loves to read and can often be found reading to her brother and her sister.  She is an excellent reader, and current books/series that she's been reading are Beezus and Ramona, the Wellie Wisher books (to Adelie), and the Horse Crazy series.  Zach is also reading the girls the Frog Princess series.  (They are on the 7th book in the series.)  We don't watch TV or movies very often, so Staley doesn't really know what shows are on.  If we do watch a television show, it is generally Dora, Paw Patrol, or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, which Staley still readily watches with her brother and sister.  She remains very sensitive to "scary" movies and shows, but she really enjoys the American Girl movies.  Staley loves to play games.  Favorites include Apples to Apples, Ticket to Ride, Shut the Box, Spot It, Tumble, Authors, and Connect 4.  When we get to play outside (it seems like its been forever), Staley enjoys riding her bike, riding her scooter, climbing trees, and doing monkey bars at the playground.  She also loves to swim. 

My little reader

Staley is generally a good eater, eating most everything I make except for veggies.  She really likes grill food, tacos, pizza, many casseroles, meatballs, pancakes, fruit, and most sweets (except cake).  She is pretty adventurous now with eating hot lunch at school most days.  Staley's best friend from school is Reese, who was in her class last year.  They generally play together at recess and go to Awana together on Wednesday nights.  Staley has a wide circle of other friends that she spends time with at school and church and Stage Kids and in the neighborhood.  Her siblings and cousins still remain some of her best friends.

Sisters make the best friends.

So do cousins!

Dislikes:  Staley is still sensitive to many things.  Although we rarely have clothing drama like we used to, Staley is still picky about her clothing.  Unless it's required for a play or performance, Staley will not wear jeans, tights, shirts with appliques, lace, or anything binding, itchy, or uncomfortable.  She is sensitive about having her teeth cleaned/brushed, shots, and splinters.  When it comes to pain, tough she is not.  Staley does not always like when things are not her idea, although has been getting better about that in some ways.  She does not usually cave to Adelie's ideas or younger playmates, but will sometimes concede to older playmates (like older cousins) or me.  Staley continues to demonstrate anxiety about new situations or settings.  She does not handle it well if we are not somewhere to pick her up immediately when something is over or if something isn't going how she expected it to.  She often is in tears if she doesn't see us during the closing time at Awana or if our Sunday School class gets out a little after hers.  She also still has a weird anxiety about a movie/show ending and the credits beginning.  Staley does not like vegetables.  She will not wear a life vest or floaty.  She is sensitive to smells, often complaining about smells that no one else is aware of.  Although Staley still has her sensitivities and anxiety and a mind of her own, most of her days now are free from tears and drama. 

Skills:  Staley may not be the most coordinated child, but she is very determined.  She can ride a bike without training wheels, do all the monkey bars at school, swim pretty well, and jump rope.  She draws pretty well and has nice handwriting.  She loves to do craft projects, and has recently learned to make rubber band bracelets and tie crafts. 

Staley making rubber band bracelets.

Staley is very helpful and independent.  She can cook with very minimal assistance (mostly for the oven and making sure she is measuring the correct amount), supervises clean up time, will help set/clear the table, can remove her sheets, and is a great help with her siblings.  Staley and Adelie play really well together, but Staley is always very sweet and helpful with Briggs.  She can get him into and out of his crib, and will try to help him get his socks or shoes or coat on.  Not only does she play well with her siblings, she also reads to them, supervises them, and gets great enjoyment out of the cute or funny things they do.  She will even make them behavior charts or provide them positive reinforcement for doing something good or nice.  She is just a great big sister!!  Staley gets herself dressed, takes her own bath/shower, brushes/flosses her own teeth, combs/parts her hair, and coordinates her own outfits.  (She still sometimes needs prodding to move things along as quickness is still not a strong suit.) 

What a great big sister!!

Staley remains very bright.  She is able to read almost anything, although still loves to be read to.  She masters math facts very quickly, and can do addition, subtraction, simple multiplication, and simple division.  She can also tell time on a analog clock and is beginning to learn money values.  Staley learns things quickly and has an amazing memory.  For Awana, Staley has already completed a book and a half this year.  She memorizes her verses very easily.  For example, she memorized the books of the New Testament in about 5-10 minutes and the 23rd Psalm in about 5 minutes...and then remembers them weeks later.  She also has no problem memorizing lines for her plays, often learning all her lines within the first week of getting a part.

Reading to Adelie

As a quintessential first child, Staley is a rule follower and a pleaser.  She never wants to be in trouble and is quick to point out when others are not following the rules.  Staley is still quick with an excuse or an explanation or a shift of the blame when she is getting in trouble.  She has a mind of her own and knows exactly what she likes and doesn't like.  Staley is very sweet and cuddly, still liking to sit on my lap, cuddle on the couch, give me hugs, and hold my hand.  She gets excited when I come to help at her school.  Staley is more happy to be at home than on the go.  Even though she enjoys school and Awana and Sunday School, Staley is never too sad about missing activities if it means she gets to stay home.  With her anxieties and sensitivities, I think home is just a safe place for her...and I love my little homebody.

Time flies and 7 years has gone by in a blink.  So much has changed, but many things about Staley remain constant.  She has always been my sweet, sensitive, loving, smart, helpful, independent, amazing little girl.  I can't wait to see where this life takes her!

I sure do love my 7 year old!!