ten

This morning after everyone left for school/work Grace fell back asleep in my bed.  She often comes in and we spend an hour together before we have to get ready for our day.  Sometimes we do homework, sometimes we watch YouTube vids, occasionally I tell her to sleep some more.  As I was laying next to her and enjoying the stillness of the morning I was reflecting on parenting 10 year olds and how different it's been for me all 6 times.  I'm much more nostalgic with little Lu and prone to more reflection.

When Dani was 10 she was never the baby in the bed, she was however the big girl who got to stay up late after the little sisters were tucked in.  We were living in our cute apartment and life was good.  I taught school at the same elementary school where the girls attended.  We drove there together and they hung out in my classroom before and after school.  Dani was a huge helper to me.  It was a peaceful, fun chapter.

Sierra was 10 in Texas.  Hannah was a little babe and was a screamer.  All the time.  Not her fault but she was always in pain with her hemangioma.  Our lives revolved around her care.  All the sisters were kind and helpful.  Sierra was compassionate and easy going.  She had some neighborhood friends she liked to play with (Emily and Sophie).  This was the year she had the best teacher ever, Miss Morgan.  Sierra really excelled and did great in math especially.  

Jenna was 10 in Texas too.  She was busy with violin.  We drove to the fort worth youth orchestra once a week and also to her lessons in fort worth once a week.  She was BFF's with Emma and was creative and sweet.  

We moved to Maryland the summer Hannah turned 10.  This was a great move for her.  She made lots of friends, liked and did well at school, and became a delightful, sweet girl.  Before that she was sometimes a challenge.  She reminded me of that poem about the little girl with the curl "when she was good she was very, very good. And when she was bad she was horrid".  We really turned that corner at that time and a lot of her challenging behaviors were really tempered as she grew and matured.  10 was a delightful year.

Ethan at ten played soccer and did scouts and loved to run around in the neighborhood and loved electronics.  Pretty much the same as now.  He was in STEM and did well.  He's always been our best boy:)

And Gracie, she's the baby of the family.  A special spot.  I have more time to spend with just her than I did with any of the others and so we do girl scouts together and have morning cuddle time.  She also gets a lot of time with dad, fishing and talking.  She is super lucky because she lives right next door to her best friend and the two girls get to spend a lot of time together.  While she was a sweet and easy going baby the last couple of years have been challenging for her, I do see her maturing and growing and getting more obedient and respectful.

I love these kiddos Heavenly Father gave me.  I love the terrific tens!!