Teenager #2
Aly is thirteen today. I do this weird thing all the time where I think back to a moment in time, and imagine what my reaction would be to be able to then fast forward and see what today would be. I never would have believed Aly was going to be who she is today. What a beautiful surprise.
The closer I got to Aly's delivery date the more nervous I got that we couldn't possibly love her like we loved Kami. Funny how the moment she made herself known with the loud newborn cry we did love her the same. Then I was nervous for Kami's response to meeting Aly for the first time. She walked straight over to Aly uncovered her hands and took a long hard stare, and then said, "I hold you, baby". So we had a dark complected 2 year old with long dark wavy hair, and dark brown eyes, and then a fair complected bald as can be blue eyed baby girl.
Aly was bald forever, so always had a headband with a huge bow to make sure she wasn't mistaken for a boy. She was so cute, cuddly and nubby. She was mellow, and we thought, "oh, she's just going to be the sweet, dainty, shy, ballerina type". Um...
Then one Sunday we were horrified to get pulled out of church to be told we needed to take our 2 year old little monster out of the nursery. She was biting the other kids. What?! Her life of sainthood was no more. It was all downhill from there. At the age of three Aly chose the long road of the second-born-strong-willed-ain't-noone-telling-me-what-to-do life. Fits over not liking how her shoes or socks felt would turn into red faced kicking the wall and screaming. I had to call Jason to come home several times. Poor thing was so hard to understand too, because she took forever to talk, and when she finally did her "L" sound and "R" sound were "W" sounds. If I wanted her to do something she pretty much decided that because it wasn't her idea she did not want to do it.
So at four or five we signed her up for soccer... Bless her heart, but she couldn't run to save her life let alone kick a ball. Jason and I would just look at each other and whisper "poor Aly". We knew she was not going to be an athlete. So we figured sports won't be her thing.
Then when she started school she had to be in a special reading group, because she struggled to grasp some reading concepts. When it came to any written work her papers always had holes in them from erasing so hard to correct something. So we figured academics won't be her thing.
When it came time for the Christmas programs she would plant her feet and cross her arms. You know, where all the little cuties dressed in their Christmas best, and grandmas and grandpas come to watch their precious grandchildren sing about Jesus. Kami would march up there like she owned the stage, and belt it out with confidence. Aly was that kid in the back screaming and crying ruining your video footage of your little angel. One year I did the unthinkable... I bribed her with a new doll. "If you go up there I will buy you a new doll" I KNOW! I became that pathetic wimpy parent, but I just wanted her to be all cute with all the other kids too. So that little sweet thang went up on the stage and just stood there. No singing, no smile. The expression on her face said, "Christmas is stupid, and I'm a brat". Really? My husband is one of the pastors. Give us some help here, God.
She wouldn't wear socks with seams, she had to be able to curl her toes in her shoes, her hair (what little she had) could not have a bump of any sort. I re-ponied so many pony tails for that girl! Her food couldn't touch. Her stuffed animals had to be in a specific place on her bed (drove me crrrrazy), she would get so upset if she lost any type of game. If these things did not align all hell would break loose for hours of screaming or until we caved. So eventually we took her to the doctor, because we were afraid she was becoming overly obsessive compulsive. Her reactions to things not being just right were enough to make a mom psycho.
She was so concerned about what people thought that when someone would laugh she would sometimes cry, because she thought they were laughing at her.
Ok, so we totally prophesied that Aly was going to be a handful for life. I've never been so glad to be wrong.
She is still the loud one of the family, but the girl makes me laugh. I mean laugh hard. She is a free bird. She marches to the beat of her own drum, and I praise God that she cares about what people think only when it matters. She really has no fear. That nursery bully has turned into a great friend who has shared Christ and his love with her peers. I love watching her interact with her friends on a level that I never did at her age.
The OCD thing just disappeared one day, which was a good thing, because I was ready to let her wear flip-flops in the snow and shave her head to avoid the fits.
She has shocked us with her mad soccer skills. We have loved watching her develop as a player. If I could have fast forwarded to a game now back when she was 4/5 I would've said, "No way!!".
Thought school was going to be a challenge. She is in advanced math, ELA (English, Language Arts) and orchestra. That strong will has come in handy as she is so driven to not just get her work done, but to have it done with excellence.
And I never would have thought that Aly could get on a stage and lose herself in a role. I take that back... I could have imagined her losing herself in the princess role, because she was a "pwincess", but the role of crazy, loud, silly (people might laugh)... never. She loves it now, though, thanks to the exploration of the arts at Impact!
It's been so incredible to watch God surprise us with Aly, the little, timid, naughty girl turned brave, driven, tender, passionate and feminine.
"He who began a good work in you will continue His work until the day it is completed" Philippians 1:6. Phew! Thank God he continues to work in all of us.
Aly Grace, our lives are so rich and full of laughter and joy, because of you. I'm so glad you have continued to allow God to bring freedom to you, and release you from your fears, because free people free people, and I've seen God use your freedom to bring freedom to your friends and to our family. We love you to pieces, and celebrate YOU today!!!
The closer I got to Aly's delivery date the more nervous I got that we couldn't possibly love her like we loved Kami. Funny how the moment she made herself known with the loud newborn cry we did love her the same. Then I was nervous for Kami's response to meeting Aly for the first time. She walked straight over to Aly uncovered her hands and took a long hard stare, and then said, "I hold you, baby". So we had a dark complected 2 year old with long dark wavy hair, and dark brown eyes, and then a fair complected bald as can be blue eyed baby girl.
Aly was bald forever, so always had a headband with a huge bow to make sure she wasn't mistaken for a boy. She was so cute, cuddly and nubby. She was mellow, and we thought, "oh, she's just going to be the sweet, dainty, shy, ballerina type". Um...
Then one Sunday we were horrified to get pulled out of church to be told we needed to take our 2 year old little monster out of the nursery. She was biting the other kids. What?! Her life of sainthood was no more. It was all downhill from there. At the age of three Aly chose the long road of the second-born-strong-willed-ain't-noone-telling-me-what-to-do life. Fits over not liking how her shoes or socks felt would turn into red faced kicking the wall and screaming. I had to call Jason to come home several times. Poor thing was so hard to understand too, because she took forever to talk, and when she finally did her "L" sound and "R" sound were "W" sounds. If I wanted her to do something she pretty much decided that because it wasn't her idea she did not want to do it.
So at four or five we signed her up for soccer... Bless her heart, but she couldn't run to save her life let alone kick a ball. Jason and I would just look at each other and whisper "poor Aly". We knew she was not going to be an athlete. So we figured sports won't be her thing.
Then when she started school she had to be in a special reading group, because she struggled to grasp some reading concepts. When it came to any written work her papers always had holes in them from erasing so hard to correct something. So we figured academics won't be her thing.
When it came time for the Christmas programs she would plant her feet and cross her arms. You know, where all the little cuties dressed in their Christmas best, and grandmas and grandpas come to watch their precious grandchildren sing about Jesus. Kami would march up there like she owned the stage, and belt it out with confidence. Aly was that kid in the back screaming and crying ruining your video footage of your little angel. One year I did the unthinkable... I bribed her with a new doll. "If you go up there I will buy you a new doll" I KNOW! I became that pathetic wimpy parent, but I just wanted her to be all cute with all the other kids too. So that little sweet thang went up on the stage and just stood there. No singing, no smile. The expression on her face said, "Christmas is stupid, and I'm a brat". Really? My husband is one of the pastors. Give us some help here, God.
She wouldn't wear socks with seams, she had to be able to curl her toes in her shoes, her hair (what little she had) could not have a bump of any sort. I re-ponied so many pony tails for that girl! Her food couldn't touch. Her stuffed animals had to be in a specific place on her bed (drove me crrrrazy), she would get so upset if she lost any type of game. If these things did not align all hell would break loose for hours of screaming or until we caved. So eventually we took her to the doctor, because we were afraid she was becoming overly obsessive compulsive. Her reactions to things not being just right were enough to make a mom psycho.
She was so concerned about what people thought that when someone would laugh she would sometimes cry, because she thought they were laughing at her.
Ok, so we totally prophesied that Aly was going to be a handful for life. I've never been so glad to be wrong.
She is still the loud one of the family, but the girl makes me laugh. I mean laugh hard. She is a free bird. She marches to the beat of her own drum, and I praise God that she cares about what people think only when it matters. She really has no fear. That nursery bully has turned into a great friend who has shared Christ and his love with her peers. I love watching her interact with her friends on a level that I never did at her age.
The OCD thing just disappeared one day, which was a good thing, because I was ready to let her wear flip-flops in the snow and shave her head to avoid the fits.
She has shocked us with her mad soccer skills. We have loved watching her develop as a player. If I could have fast forwarded to a game now back when she was 4/5 I would've said, "No way!!".
Thought school was going to be a challenge. She is in advanced math, ELA (English, Language Arts) and orchestra. That strong will has come in handy as she is so driven to not just get her work done, but to have it done with excellence.
And I never would have thought that Aly could get on a stage and lose herself in a role. I take that back... I could have imagined her losing herself in the princess role, because she was a "pwincess", but the role of crazy, loud, silly (people might laugh)... never. She loves it now, though, thanks to the exploration of the arts at Impact!
It's been so incredible to watch God surprise us with Aly, the little, timid, naughty girl turned brave, driven, tender, passionate and feminine.
"He who began a good work in you will continue His work until the day it is completed" Philippians 1:6. Phew! Thank God he continues to work in all of us.
Aly Grace, our lives are so rich and full of laughter and joy, because of you. I'm so glad you have continued to allow God to bring freedom to you, and release you from your fears, because free people free people, and I've seen God use your freedom to bring freedom to your friends and to our family. We love you to pieces, and celebrate YOU today!!!
I absolutely love your blogs because they are full of such honesty--and more moms need to be like this. Everyone paints the picture of their children as constantly perfect, so when your own makes a mistake you feel like a failure. Aly is beautiful and strong like her mother and father. Blessings to you and your family!
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