Happy 11th Birthday, Hazel!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAZEL!
We can't believe you're 11 years old! 

Dear Hazel,
 there is so much to say about and to you! It's been a year of more growth and some new added strong emotions. You're getting to that age now I guess, and it's kind of crazy! You've always had big emotions but you could calm down so quickly. And logic is something you're good at. But lately it's been harder to navigate. But you're so good at explaining how you feel and what you need. Mostly. But some of these unknowns will be clearer soon as long as we stick together. 

You still have your crazy, goofy side for sure, and I love it. You can make the silliest sounds and laughs and craziest faces. You love joke books and magic tricks as well. 

You continue to love Irish dance and have made some of your best friends there. You took some sewing classes this past year and now you keep creating little stuffed animals or pillows with your sewing machine. You still love art and take a class with a neighbor teacher. You sing in the choir at school and have a very sweet, on pitch voice. You are in tech crew with the school play right now and you are loving that. You also still take horse lessons once a month and enjoy that as well. 

You have grown a love of coding and engineering things and learning about it all. You still love to read and learn about science stuff: weather, anatomy, chemistry, biology, and astronomy. You love to read and listen to audio books as well. You still love to create! You love to take things you learn about and make them yourself with cardboard or other various materials. You absorb information and your comprehension and understanding is well beyond your age. We never cease to be amazed by all the things you know and remember! 

You also just love to read stories too. You're into mystery type books. You got a ukulele and love that too. You LOVE our dog, Millie. You still love your "stuffies" as well and find great comfort and camaraderie in them. 

You still struggle to fully open up and get close to your friends. You feel scared to be too vulnerable, worried you'll get hurt and that others don't truly care about you.  A lot of the girls around you your age are into skin care and make up already and all they do is dance all week so you have a hard time relating. But I know there are plenty of cool kids like you out there and most likely are very close by, you just need to put yourself out there and you'll find that they are hiding a bit too, like you. 

But because of this you have, on the flip side, grown strong friendships with your siblings, even though you all still fight sometimes. ;) You truly enjoy playing together and I love to see it! 

You have told me a few times recently that you're not feeling ready to "grow up," that you like being a child and you don't want to lose that. And while we can't stay kids forever, I just want you to know that you can always hold onto parts of it in your heart and embrace your inner child as you grow. In fact, I believe that's one of the best ways to live! To keep wonder, creativity, exploring, imagination, and the free spirit inside of us all alive and well! I love that you want this because that means it will be something that will feel more natural for you to nurture in your life. Being a serious and stressed out adult is lame- never give in! 

We love you Hazel, SO MUCH. I honestly can't believe that I get to be your mom. You are brilliant and so full of LIFE and so many amazing talents and traits. I love our talks and deep discussions. I love that we still read books together. I love laughing about silly things. I love exploring the world, near and far, with you. And even though you growing up is a bit hard on us both, I also love seeing you blossom and bloom. 

Happy Birthday! 

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Okay and so I maybe took too many photos but I have zero regrets. I decided this year to do studio photos for the kids birthday pictures and its fun to add in some different outfits and items that represent them at this age. Enjoy the photos! 

Birthday Interview at the end. :) 

This photo is extra special to me. I feel that it shows that pull between growing up but not wanting to leave the safety of childhood. 

And a huge bonus here: A photo of Hazel at THREE to now at ELEVEN. 

BIRTHDAY INTERVIEW:

How do you feel about your birthday?

It's awesome. 

What are three things you love about yourself

My hair, My ideas, and my family. 

What's a favorite memory from the past year?

The AJR concert.

What have you been enjoying the most?

Everything. Travel, craft, stuff like that

What's something that has surprised you this past year?

You coming home with a cat

What's your favorite way to spend a weekend?

Crafting, baking and lego shows

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why?

  Great Britain area, Europe. It's awesome. I love evryhting abut it. I irish dance and I'm % Scottish, and england and big ben

What's your dream job?

To own a company of some sort. Maybe one where we make board games or video games and i get to be involved makgin thm

 

And your dream pet?

I guess if fruit bats could be pets. Or a highland cow! 

What's your favorite food?

Dolma

What's something you're good at?

Crafting. Creating. Just comnig up with fun ideas. 

What's something you'd like to learn more about?

coding, cultures, and how on earth those certain balloons seal themselves. And welding. And sign langauge. 

If you could have chosen your name, what would it be?

I do like Hazel but... nothing else fits me like that.

Favorite subject in school?

Science. And art. And computers

What's been a hard thing this past year?

Mrs Sores is leaving the school. I guess it's just been hard to hang out with my friends becasue they live far away.

What talent do you have in common with Mom? 

Story telling and the way we see things. Like when we look around we notice every detail in the trees and the ground and the colors. Our funny voices

What talent do you have in common with Dad?

Crafting. Our ideas are similar when we build. 

Greatest fear?

I guess just pain. I'm scared of how painful things will feel of play out or what will happen. 

Favorite season?

Fall. It's beautyiful colors and has a fun name autum and not boiling hot like summer or freezing toes off like winter or spring. It's just perfect. 

Holiday?

Usually the closest one we're to. 

What's one thing you wish you could change in the world?

The amunt of wars and how much the countries hate each other. Can't we all just get along. And trump! Why! 

Any last words?

I honestly don't know.