big and little

Wren's birthday is coming up soon - I can't believe she's going to be 7. I'm still not totally over mourning the loss of her big fat baby cheeks, and the dimples in her knees. She can't be so long and lanky - so full of comic book ideas and puns. So bad-breathed in the morning and grouchy when her alarm (Jane) goes off. When did this KID appear? Luckily she still falls asleep in the car often enough that I get a regular dose of 45 lb reality, hoisting her up to the bunk bed.

 She reads Grimm's Fairy Tales, the bible, and Junie B Jones. She practices piano. At least an hour a day, she's reading, if she's not out in the yard wrangling chickens. She plays so sweetly with Ben, so patiently with Jane (most of the time) and miraculously remains oblivious to all the weird first grade girl drama swirling around her. If someone is "not kind" she decides she'd rather play with somebody else.

Her teacher told me the other day that Wren is "an incredibly honest kid" and it's true. We have our problems... most recently straddling that delicate line between -honest- and -kind- and learning to prioritize in various situations. Understanding something that your friend doesn't understand is a chance to be kind, before it's a chance to express your -honest- surprise that they don't get it.

But she'll get it, because she's gentle-hearted. She's so dear, and I'm so proud of her. I think 7 is going to be a really fun age with Wrennel.