Tom taught Olivia how to tie her shoes last week. He was so proud of how patient he was during the entire process and how he figured out that if he bribed her with Reece’s Cups she was willing to work a little harder for a little longer. Brilliant.
We’ve watched a bunch of the Olympics (duh, right?) and managed to catch a little of the synchronized swimming yesterday. Olivia was fascinated. She kept asking, “How do they do that? Do they swim a lot to practice? How can they hold their breath that long?”
Later she asked if there would be more synchronized swimming for us to watch. I assured her that if there wasn’t any more shown on television, we’d go to youtube and watch videos of it. That satisfied her curiosity and need to see more, to learn more, to know more.
We went to the mall on Saturday to pick up a few things for the coming school year. While there, Olivia found a pair of Monster High skull earrings. On sale, these earrings were still $40. My mom and I agreed to split the cost and got them for her.
The lady at the jewelry counter asked Olivia if she wanted them in a bag. Olivia declared, “I want them in my ears.”
The lady started to bring over a mirror so O could change her earrings right there. My mom told the sale clerk that was okay, that I’d change the earrings for Olivia. But that moment, when the woman treated my daughter like a typical nine-year-old who would/could change her own earrings was kind of awesome. I realize how lucky we are that Olivia’s delays, her issues, the ways in which 5p- affect her are virtually invisible.
I’ve said it before that society is kinder to those who are conventionally attractive. While that’s not a fair practice, I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m glad my daughter benefits from it. There are things in her life that are hard enough. If being pretty can make her life a little easier, so be it.
While at the mall, we obviously had to stop by the bookstore. Olivia immediately made her way to the back where the kids’ books are located. Alyssa went with her because the stuffed animals are back there too.
After a few minutes, they came to find me, asking me to help them find the Monster High books. I followed them back and we looked and looked but since we didn’t know the name of the person who writes the Monster High books, we were having no luck. I found a store employee and she was able to take us directly to the shelf there where were three copies of the Clea DeNile books available.
Olivia picked up that book and hugged it to her chest.
What kind of mother would I be if I refused to buy her that book? Since I was paying ten dollars for a book for O, I told A that I’d buy her the stuffed border collie she’d already picked out. I know, I’m a sucker for those girls.
But this sight make me so, so happy.
My girl, nine years old, reading books that are age-appropriate, enjoying them so much she reads them a second time and then tells me all about the story. And her joy at finding, at the end of the book, that there were blank pages on which she was encouraged to write out her own thoughts, feelings, ideas for stories, those things make me sleep a little better each night when I start to worry about her future. There’s a really good chance this girl is going to do just fine.
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