Kate is 7

Kate turned 7.
She certainly is my party girl.  She was planning her party for weeks, and then likes to be a part of every detail.
It has been fun to watch her transition this year to really a school age kids.  Full day school, which comes with school lunch and recess and homework and being gone so much.
She loves it and teases me that I'll miss her too much while she is gone playing with her friends.
And she seems to have a lot of them, she is not shy and will talk and play with any kid.
She runs around the neighborhood with handfuls of kids too.
At school I've got to peek at her a bit helping in the class.  She is responsible.  And kind, and hardworking.
and super smart of course.  At the top of her class in almost every subject.
At home she has two sides.  One that is super helpful and sweet- making each sibling smile and laugh, giving them gifts.  One that is a bit more of an attitude.  Mostly talking back and arguing especially about chores.
She is not just a party planner- but an everything planner.  Counting days until certain events, planning calanders and always looking ahead to the next thing.
And she is silly.  She is always making silly faces, trying to make kids laugh and putting on dance shows.
She is very self aware too.  She know what she is good at, and what others are better at- and it doesn't bother her because she recognizes her own talents.  I think that is a great quality I hope she keeps.
Some favorites and facts

Fav color?: "turquoise"
fav thing to do?: "ballet or just write regular dance"
fav food?:  "hawaiian pizza I had today"
best friend?: "diama- he is in green group just like me" (green group is the smart reading group)
tell me more about your friends: "that they are friendly"
fav thing about school? "MATH!"
fav thing about home?: coloring
what do you want to be when you grow up? "you KNOW.  and artist... and a ballet dancer.... astronaut"
I thought you wanted to write books I asked (hence the library) "that is my fourth choice" she ssays.
fav book? "you KNOW its a kind of chapter book... those Light in the Attic kind of chapter book" (she means Shel Silverstien
tell me about you? "I have blonde hair and blue eyes, and I have white skin, I am good a twirling"
what do you like about you? "that I am really light" "that I am really smart"
if you could have anything in the world " a gold car made out of gold"
if you could do anything for one day "is do a hundred backflips"
if you could only eat one food forever  "chocolate"
if you could change one thing about the world: "to not do chores"

we went to the library for her pictures. She was most concerned that I would forget the books she wanted to check out.  Her favorite part was picking out book or maybe actually riding the elevator.  She tried to please almost too hard.  After we checked out books we snuck to the snow cone shack for a snow cone and a sugar cookie.  She sincerly told me a big thank you for taking me there and we sat and enjoyed our treats together.   I love this Kate of mine.  It is a great thing, to  love an older child.  Unlike a baby who you can't help to love, an older child  you love in a new way.  Knowing their imperfections and more so their amazing strengths and capacities.  I see in Kate her desire to be obedient and helpful, I see her confidence, and her friendliness I see her ability to lead others.  I see her love for her siblings. and if makes me love her, not just because she is mine, but because she is awesome!