Dear Julia, you’re 9

 Dear Julia, 

You started a new school this school year. You thought you should be nervous but pushed through that so easily! We talked about nervousness being kind of the same emotions as excitedness and you saw the good. Your brothers all went to that school, your cousin Clara would be in the same school for her first year in the same grade as you, you would carpool with your brother (and Clara, Everett & Ivy), and Vicki Crew would take you to the Publix shopping spree on Fridays after school! We practiced Tyler walking you over the overpass bridge for before school. 

I'm so impressed with you. You are a morning person, so happy and energized in the morning. You help wake me up with cuddles. You ask me to make you a sandwich the night before but don't expect it since I often forget. You get your own swim bag ready, lunch ready, clothes picked out, hair sprayed and fun, etc. You are a peacemaker with friends. You're intuitive and pick your battles. Sometimes you stand your ground, and other times you give in. Last year, I helped carpool Alexis and Noelle Tiba and they would both want to sit by you. The easy solution was for you to sit in the middle but you didn't like the middle. So actually, the middle became the covetted seat for them because you were firm in not wanting to sit in it. Interresting how you guys work that out, sometimes better than others. You see other dynamics and family rules and respect them. You seem to really get that people can be different and they function just fine in their way and you find your way to peace and happiness. You play well with your siblings. Yes you and I are the messy ones, but I'm ok with that. Andrew loves having you for a friend and you really do play well with that little guy. You play hard with Clara and enjoy Everett too. Today, you and Tyler created We find times to clean up your random socks which are mostly by the shoes these days rather than all over. You ask deep questions like about the solar system and what iffs and listen and process them. 

Learning: You figured out how to log onto your school Canvas dashboard and are utilizing the learniongi tools and videos on your free time. You have an Apple watch and use it to contact us, remind people to pick you up for swimming, text gifs to us, and play Taylor Swift songs you recorded onto it. You read for fun and your favorite books are the Bad Kitty books. You still write letters backwards and area a creative speller but do ask for help and feedback. You got the watch for your 9th birthday and it was odd getting a device for such a young kid, but Clara has one, you're with neighbors, grandparents, at practice, etc and I don't know how to get ahold of you or see where you are besides texting dad or grandma or neighbors. You're still wanting to know I'm close and we felt it would be good. The first thing you texted on your birthday was "I love you" to me. How sweet!

Years ago I wanted to write down that you still scratch my back. It's so sweet and thoughtful and considerate of others. You kids all love when I scratch your backs and you do it without of expecting it in return, you just do it to be sweet. 

You're a back stroker in swimming. Tyler beat you in a race across the pool, but if given distance, you're really good. You dont' fizzle out like some other kids in your age heats at swim meets. You really like swimming and it's 4 days/week! So you go after school to swimming and don't get home until after 7pm. It's a long day and you don't ever complain. Sometimes you're not in the mood to go the night before, but you like it when you go. 

You're a climber. You climb trees and at Vertical Ventures with Tyler. He's stronger, but you know your limits and safely push yourself. You're strong and are much younger. I forsee you continuing to be an agile climber your whole life. 

You take care of your hair. You're not stressed about it, but did go through a couple of weeks where we really worked on keepingi the friz down. You have expensive shampoo, conditioner, gel, sprays, etc. I love your hair and so do you. 

You like plumbs, eat bananas for snacks, drink lots of water as your favorite drink, but also love sweets still. You're picky in that you don't like pieces of things mixed into your foods. For yougurt, you'd rather plain vanilla so not to risk pieces of fruit. You like cinamon swirel bagels but not the cinamon raisin kinds. You're picky in your granolla bars you like but do like fruit leather strips. I think cheeseburgers are your favorite food still. From Chick-Fil-A, you and Tyler both like the Chick-Fil-A sandwiches with no pickles. You're no longer a ham sandwich girl. You'll eat a Wawa sub, but I don't think that's a favorite. You're a little fish and don't get cold in the pool. You swim in our back yard, in Grandma's pool, at the beach, and for swim team. You liked going year round and didn't complain of the cold. You liked the hot chocolate of course! 

You and Tyler like to watch movies on non-schooll nights and it's not easy finding things you both like. 

You and he decked out a Jeep that Grandma got and fit all of your stuffede Curious George dolls in, on, and around it. You built and crafted storage and extra seating and I love you two playing and being little kids. You're proud of your big brothers and brag about them and ask them to show off, like "Show Grandma how you can solve the 4 by 4 [Rubik's cube.] 

I like you, Miss Julia. I sometimes call you "Ju-Lu or Ju-lulia."