NINE

Jersey #2 is NINE years old!

I fall apart at age 9.  It really hits me hard.  I had a tough time the year Mackenzie would have been 9 years old.  I was really emotional when Jersey #1 was turning 9 years old.  

Age 9 means that half of childhood is over.

Those 9 years sure fly by fast!

With Jersey #2, I am going back and forth.  I am shocked and emotional because half of her childhood is already over.  Then again, I am joyous that she has survived for half of her childhood!  (Her heart condition used to be fatal by age 5, not that long ago).  

The first 9 years of childhood are the ones where kids are more dependent on Mom.  I am quickly learning that the next 9 years are a steady stream of letting my kids gain their independence....and seeing how much they accepted my influence as they make their own decisions.  From my current standpoint, I would rather be back in the season where I had multiple kids in diapers, toddling, and napping.  The 9th birthday is a huge wake-up call to the fact that I have to let my children grow into pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults.  They are growing up.  No fair!

Sure enough, Jersey #2 has embraced being 9 years old.  She has already started to pay more attention to clothes, and friends, and listening in when adult are talking.  She has even taken to spending some time alone in her room, reading, drawing, or thinking.  There are positives too.  She is becoming more responsible for herself.  She is becoming more helpful.  She is learning to express her disagreeing opinions, without being rebellious or defiant.  She is starting to decide who she is, apart from her parents.  The journey is not over, of course.  It is just changing focus.  It also appears to be accelerating.

To celebrate her 9th birthday, Jersey #2 wanted to go to a nearby amusement park, for the day, with her best friend.  (and, the rest of her family could tag along too).

Thankfully, her friend was available for a day of fun like that.  It actually worked out that her friend was able to spend the night the evening before.  Jersey #2 was very pleased with the way her birthday celebration went.

For a gift, she asked for a Chemistry set.  The Referee and I could barely contain our excitement that one of our children was taking such an early interest in science.  We told her a chemistry set was indeed a possibility for a gift.  She then told us she wanted the Chemistry set so that she could explode stuff!

We found her a nice Chemistry set, and Nana added a lab coat, goggles, and beaker to go with it.  We started referring to Jersey #2 as our mad scientist.     

Granny & PawPaw sent her a check for her birthday.  That is part of their tradition.  At age 8, the grandchildren receive the birthday budget in money for them to spend how they wish.  Jersey #2 knew this money was arriving in the mail, and anticipated how early could Granny be.  When I took her to the bank to cash the check, she asked for the amount in $5 bills.  As we were walking out of the bank, she said she thought the stack of cash would be bigger.  Then she commented that she should have gotten her money in $1 bills instead, so that it would be a bigger wad.

We enjoyed pizza and ice cream birthday cake...

Then, spent the next day having tons of fun at the amusement park...