Staley is 8 years old. She is now 48" tall and weighs 52 lbs. She wears her size 7/8 clothes and size 13 shoes. Staley has been undergoing orthodontic procedures for the past 6 months. She currently has a retainer for her upper teeth and an expander for her lower teeth. She will be getting a small set of braces next month. Over the past year, Staley has been involved in a variety of activities including Stage Kids, Broadway dance, piano lessons, singing lessons, basketball, coach pitch baseball, volleyball, and Wednesday night Kid's Connection at church. She is in the second grade with Mrs. King as her teacher. Staley sleeps for about 11-12 hours at night, generally going to bed around 8 and getting up around 7:00-7:30. She is growing up fast. That's about the only thing she does fast as she lacks any sense of urgency when doing daily activities.
Likes: Staley has a large variety of interests. She is very creative and loves singing, dancing, acting, drawing, and writing. She is constantly writing stories, books, and plays. Staley also enjoys trying out more athletic pursuits. Staley is not necessarily innately athletic, but she is very persistent and has enjoyed playing sports through the park district (baseball, basketball, volleyball), going for runs with Zach and I (and pushing herself to go a little farther each time), and trying out activities like rock climbing and roller skating. She loves swimming, riding her bike, riding her scooter, and trying to climb trees. She is generally cautious by nature, so she keeps her tree climbing, rock climbing, and bike riding endeavors within the realm of what she considers safe.
Although cautious, Staley does love to try new things and learn new skills.
Staley is an avid reader and loves all kinds of books, but current favorite series have been American Girl doll mysteries and books, the Whatever After series, Beverly Cleary books, Magic Treehouse books, A-Z Mysteries, I Survived books, and non-fiction do-it-yourself books (like how to do hair, cook books, yoga books, craft books, etc.) She is also very good about reading books to her younger brother and sister. We do not watch television and only occasionally watch movies, but recent favorite movies that Staley has seen are 'Mary Poppins Returns' and 'The Greatest Showman.' She also really enjoys the American Girl movies. Staley does not play with many toys anymore, but she does enjoy playing with her American Girl dolls. She will occasionally still play Barbies or figurines, but not often. More of her free time is spent reading, writing, making up and performing plays, and doing craft activities. She is in her element when she is writing, directing, and starring in plays or performances with her siblings.
Staley loves her American Girl dolls, especially Haley.
Staley making lip gloss.
Staley is generally a good eater. She eats most main dishes, fruits, and desserts. Favorites include tacos, cheeseburgers, chicken casserole, meatballs, pancakes, muffins, and ice cream. Staley is becoming more interested in clothing. She likes workout-type clothes, like leggings and exercise tops. She still prefers soft, comfortable clothing like leggings, jeggings, and soft pants. She has recently become interested in the store Justice and the clothing they sell because her older girl cousin really likes that store. She also likes making her own outfits by adding accessories like belts, scarves, and jewelry. Staley prefers to do her own hair and has become more interested in trying out different hairstyles and styling Adelie's hair. Staley has a variety of friends from school, church, the neighborhood, and Stage Kids, but her best friend is our backyard neighbor (and school and church friend), Lilian. She also loves to spend time with her cousins with cousin sleepovers with Lila and Olivia still ranking among her favorite activities. She also gets along really well with her siblings and they are some of her favorite playmates.
Staley and Lilian
Staley and Lila
Staley and Adelie
Dislikes: Staley is still sensitive to certain things. She does not like denim, tights with feet, or scratchy material. She has begun wearing a cami underneath clothes if an applique is on the shirt or it doesn't feel quite right. She does not like veggies except cooked carrots. She likes most desserts, but is not a big fan of cake. Staley can still get overwhelmed in new, busy, or chaotic situations, like big birthday parties. She prefers smaller groups of people to do things with. She has gotten much better about loud noises, although she did still cover her ears at the firework finale this 4th of July. She is also less sensitive to intense parts of movies, although we rarely watch anything that has many intense parts. As Staley has gotten older, she is also more flexible about doing things other people want to do, accepting instruction or suggestions from others, and being more kind with her sister. She still does not like when people do not follow the rules or when things don't go how she anticipated.
She always prefers her comfy clothes.
Just like her Mama!
Skills: Staley is getting to be a very independent little girl. She takes her own shower, brushes her own teeth, picks out her own outfits, and does her own hair. She is responsible about getting her homework done and memorizing lines/songs for plays she is in. She does still need reminders to practice for piano lessons. Staley is a big help and does jobs around the house (cleaning the bathroom sink and taking the sheets off the beds are her weekly jobs), makes simple things in the kitchen without help (except with the oven), and helps out with her siblings.
Staley is getting quite proficient in the kitchen.
Staley is very bright and does very well in school. She is scoring in the 98th percentile on standardized tests for both reading and math. Staley has worked hard to master various athletic pursuits. She can hit a ball consistently in coach pitch, make baskets when the basket has been lowered, and run a mile and a half without stopping. Staley is taking piano and singing lessons. She is beginning to play simple songs with her right and left hand together and is becoming much better at matching pitch with singing. Staley loves acting and has no stage fright. She easily memorizes her lines and songs and dances for plays and performances that she is in.
Staley and Haley both enjoy playing sports.
Staley is very sweet. She still loves to cuddle and hold my hand. She is sensitive about getting in trouble and is generally very good about obeying the rules...and making sure everyone else is too. Staley is growing more and more in her faith. She reads her Bible, asks deep questions, and says heart-felt prayers. She is very inquisitive and enjoys diving into subjects. Recent interests have been dinosaurs, the solar system, and historical events. Staley is kind and a good friend. She is thoughtful and giving, shows empathy, makes others feel included, and is developing a grateful heart. She loves to be helpful. She still has a stubborn streak, but this is now seen more often in her persistence in learning new skills as opposed to resistance to doing what others want. She is growing up right before my eyes, leaving behind some of her childish ways and showing more emotional and social maturity.
She is growing up, but still loves her favorite teddy.
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My big 8 year old!
