To really know me, it’s important to get to know all of me. If you are a parent, you know children are a major piece of who you are: why you work, how you work, when you work, why you get up in the morning, why your hair is going grey, (the list goes on!).
Let’s start with Olivia, my oldest:
1. She is 11: her first year of middle school
2. She may look just like me, but she is her dad's clone
3. She has an engineering brain: at two, she worked on puzzles for hours (and I'm not talking about baby puzzles)
4. She loves to hunt with her dad
5. She is the nicest person I have ever met
6. She LOVES soccer
7. She is an athlete and an observer: once she knows what she needs to do, she will excel
8. She couldn't sleep in if her life depended on it
9. She is the hardest worker I know
10. Her favorite food is a Pork Chop John's sandwich: #proudmom
11. She is the BEST big sister: I am positive that if it weren’t for my name, Kolie wouldn't know that I’m her mom, not Olivia
12. She can be shy until she gets to know you: watch out, though, when she gets comfortable; she is developing my love for sarcasm
Olivia’s taught me so much, especially about kindness. Olivia has a much, much softer approach to life, just like her daddy. She taught me to take a step back, to look at people and situations from a different perspective. Olivia would do anything for anyone. If she has money to spend, she gets a gift for someone else, never herself. At the start of middle school, she met some new friends who needed food for lunch. She either gave them her lunch and skipped eating, or paid for their hot lunch. She worked with the food bank to stock a pantry in the school so those students have food for the weekend. Olivia acts with kindness without being prompted or looking for recognition.
You get the gist: and yes, I'm her mom so I could brag on her for HOURS.
Olivia is one of my greatest teachers in this life.
I'm proud of her and I know one day we will be best of friends.