Categories

It seems to me one person can be divided into many different categories.  Categorizing people is frowned upon and certainly many a war and social injustice found its roots in dividing complicated individuals into simplistic categories.  But sometimes, just for fun, I like to divide those I love into CATEGORIES. 

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Those that eat their candy right away/Those that save it for later.  Type A/Type B.  Mathematician/Artist.  Introvert/Extrovert.  Coffee drinker/Non-coffee drinker.  Mall enthusiast/Library Enthusiast.  Talker/Non-talker.  Socialite/Homebody.  Chocolate eater/Skittles eater.

One awesome parental responsibility is observing our children's innate personalities.  As we help them discover their God-given gifts and talents, we encourage them to embrace God's purpose for their lives.  Sometimes this process of discovery looks a lot like categorization.

It's funny how just when I fancy myself the expert in the fields of Ana Sophia, Vincent Laws, and Luisa Ray they surprise me, changing or revealing a new aspect to their personality.  I write this 5 year old update of Ana Sophia with the knowledge that by her 6th birthday she may have changed like a chameleon, appearing different than the year before, hopping from one category to the other.

In my work with children (as a speech therapist and as a mother) I've noticed that once a child learns to walk they either look back for approval or forge forward with little thought to those left behind.  Ana Sophia moves forward, jumps forward, runs forward with joy and exuberance.  One of our biggest parenting challenges is teaching her to "ask permission."  This eagerness to experience EVERYTHING is most evident on our weekly visits to the beach.  She races through the sugar sand, eyes on the ocean or some perfect shell yet to be discovered.  "Come back!  Come back!" I shout while waving my arms in the sweeping motion of "come back home."  Tony was along for our latest beach trip, which meant the kiddos were allowed to get in the water.  This girl ran for the waves with fearless abandon. 

Here she is at a park opening in our neighborhood.  Notice how she moved forward to the front of the group.  Standing proudly by the mayor to cut the ceremonial ribbon.

 She moves forward to find new friends.  She's never afraid to meet someone new and will engage most anyone in play and conversation. At age 5, what a socialite!

At this stage I would call Sophia a library enthusiast.  She enjoys being read to and is starting to read a few sight words and CVC words on her own.  Sophia is inquisitive and giddy about learning.  I will peak in her room after bed-time and find her sitting quietly in her bed flipping through  pages of the Children's Dictionary.  Upon hearing that our 10 year old neighbor had a science test at school, Sophia exclaimed with great excitement and an edge of envy, "You go to science class?!?!?"  She followed his affirmation with,"Tell me what you are learning!"  In the evenings Sophia likes to ask her Daddy loads of questions.  Ever the teacher, Tony will stay in her room way past bed-time to explain anything her heart desires.  Yes, library enthusiast and learner describe her well.

She's a bundle of energy.  On our recent trip to Texas my grandfather, in good fun, challenged Sophia to be still for 5 minutes.  Never one to turn down a challenge or be outwitted, she stood still for five minutes (if you don't count the shaking from giggling.)  I can persuade stillness with bead sorting, books, and TV shows but otherwise she is always on the move.  She recently crossed the monkey bars all on her own and loves to race around the circular sidewalk at the playground.  One day I timed her.  That afternoon she ran 15 laps, each run an attempt to better her score.

At age 5, Sophia is rather artistic.  She loves to draw, paint, and make necklaces.  But even more indicative of her creativity are her many "projects."   If given a free morning or afternoon at the house, Sophia will develop some project and employ her brother to carry out her plans.  Sometimes he is a willing participant and sometimes he has to be persuaded with promises of "cotton candy," their elusive, fictional bartering tool.  For example, one afternoon she wanted to make a playground in our backyard.  So the two of them opened our shed, found a 2X4 piece of wood, and balanced it on an overturned canvas storage bin for a seesaw.  Then they took a lid from an underbed box and angled it on top of a small table for a slide. 

 

One afternoon before Luisa was born, Sophia set up an art shop in her room.  I was called in to preview the art she made.  It was for sale or I could pay a small fee to create art of my own.  She had all the supplies set out on a red table.  I was floored when I saw her art.  First, you must understand my love for Marc Chagall.  There on her wall was her version of a Marc Chagall painting.  She copied the painting from memory of a poster in her art room at school.  She also copied the Mona Lisa.  What I love about her version of the Mona Lisa is how Mona Lisa's eyes are looking to the side and her grin is nebulous like the original.

Sophia definitely has a different way of seeing things.  On a recent trip to the zoo Sophia nicknamed the Kudus, "breakfast bars."  See for yourself:

They have icing on their backs!

Image from here

At a park she collected Spanish Moss to make into Pom Poms for the basketball game we were attending later that night.  As you can imagine, cleaning her room is always an adventure.  Without fail I find sticks, and cups filled with water, figurines, and flowers.

Parenting Ana Sophia is a challenge as her energy, inquisitive mind, and strong will can be draining at times.  Yet, I desire to know her well and not pass over any of her God-given gifts while distracted by life and raising 3 children under 5.  There are times we clash like any mother-daughter duo but I have a profound respect for the person of Ana Sophia..  I am privileged to be her mother.

Ana Sophia, when I ponder your personality and gifts I would say you defy categorization.  Like all children, you are unique and unable to be contained in any one group.  But, just in case you are one day curious, at age 5 you are a skittles eating talker who eats her candy right away.  And you are loved, most loved.


For posterity sake her are a few other highlights of your 5th year of life:

• You were a flower girl in your first wedding, Uncle Michael and Aunt Emily's wedding

{Grandparents - If you click on the collage you can see it bigger. :)}

• You were a peer model in a 5 day a week preschool in the public schools.  You thrived in this setting and we hope to find more opportunities for you to befriend other children in different walks of life.
• You took ballet once a week and performed in your first recital

• You traveled to Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia.
• You gained a baby sister and proved yourself to be, once again, an amazing big sister.  You have a special bond with Luisa.  You are an exceptional helper to mommy, grabbing diapers for the diaper bag and holding/entertaining the baby while mommy cooks dinner.

• You learned to shuck corn, peel potatoes, and make your bed.

• You finished the Jesus Storybook Bible with your Daddy and Vincent.
• You grew and grew and grew so tall