Our beautiful daughter Shayla turned 8 years old yesterday! What a milestone! I feel like life started for me when I turned 8 - I started many close friendships, some of which I still have, I remember having strong likes and dislikes at that age, and really developing into the person I was to become started at age 8 for me! That, along with the fact that at 8 our children get baptized. makes 8 an extra special year to celebrate!
So at age 8 years old Shayla is 60 pounds, 54 inches in the 70 percentile for weight and height.
Okay but that is not "who" she is! Let's see who Shayla is at age 8 in her eyes!
Here is her self portrait!
Recently at her Book club, she wrote down ten interesting things about herself as an activity for "Because of Winn Dixie" so in honor of her 8th birthday I will share 8 interesting things about Shayla as she sees it! In her order:
8 THINGS ABOUT SHAYLA
1. "I love Meat" (yes that was my daughters first thing she wrote about herself - maybe because I am a vegetarian so it distinguishes her more from me and as a daddy's girl. She likes to align herself with her dad - recently when she found out she has the same blood type as Jon she was excited to share with everyone about it and still says in arguments over who gets to sit by daddy - I have his blood type so I get to sit by him/be on his team/etc. (for the record - Mitchell has my blood type so he is on my team).
2. "I love animals" - Yes she does and she is like me in this aspect at least! I have always been an animal lover. Shayla is an animal lover and loves all animals and would have a thousand pets if we let her. She recently tried to trap a dog by leading a trail of dog food through our back gate and to a bowl of dog food - we trapped ants instead. She wants to be a Vet when she grows up.
3. "I am good at art" She loves doing art and painting and drawing and origami and any art or craft form and she is already better than me at it! Here is one of her adobe paintings she did at school.
4. "I have a little brother who is sometimes annoying." She says that but she really really loves spending time with her brother! They are great friends and will spend hours playing together and only occasionally fight like brother and sister! They are blessed to have each other!
5. "I am starting a Pet Care business." Over the summer she plans to have a pet care business to help babysit animals from dogs to snakes to fish! She is really serious about it and has a plan written out with what chores she will do and what chores Mitchell will do. Let us know if you are in need of a pet sitter!
6. "I have 28 cousins" Well she almost does when the newest cousin is born next month! Yes she has lots of cousins and we love having a big fun family!! Here are some of her cousins (and bonus 2 friends) at her baptism)!
7. "I have pet hermit crabs" These are her only pets right now so she loves them, She got a new hermit crab for her birthday too - his name is Cypro. Here he is on her arm.
8. "I am good at making things" Goes with the art - she loves making loom bracelets, crafts, cooking, building "contraptions" and more. Here she is building a robot for her Science enrichment class.
A few other things she is good at or a part of from my point of view:
SPORTS - She loves to skate and ride her bike and swim and do anything active!
Here she is in Karate class- blurry because she was always moving!
FUN - She likes to have fun - her two close friends and her performed "I'm bringing home my baby bumblebee" at the school talent school this past week! They had fun planning and picking out their moves and costumes.
GIRL SCOUTS - She loves to be a Girl Scout Brownie and loves learning new things and hiking and helping to save the Condors (their service project this year!)
A FRIEND- She is a good friend to so many gals and really loves her friends and her family and is developing into such a strong, determined, fun and brave little girl!
We are so blessed to have Shayla as a member of our family and to celebrate her birthday!!! She is such a special daughter with a strong spirit and love for all. Every year she grows more into herself and we love coming along on her journey with her to see her become the person she is becoming and meant to be!
