The Kids Right Now

Nicky

Nicky pays the price for photobombing Zoe's 

picture at Midway Mania

• Just turned 13
• Is the most polite basketball player of all time (including giving the ball back to the other team after stealing and saying, "Oh, I'm sorry. Here you go!)
• Is the same height as me (5'7") and checks everyday to see if he's passed me up (be patient, boy. It will happen)
• Has an obsession with what he calls "groovy music" and is always playing
• "Let's Groove" by Earth, Wind, and Fire
• "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5
• "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar
• Loves playing "Just Dance" and will play for hours if allowed (and I allow since it's physical activity)
• Doesn't seem to share a lot of interests with his peers, which is fine, but I worry about him not having friends or feeling like he's part of a community
• Continues to think he is our financial adviser and is constantly making commentary about how much things cost and whether we should be spending money (it drives us crazy)
• Is learning some of our more intricate board games and catching on pretty well. He even gives us a legit competition 
• Seems to be enjoying studying the Book of Mormon as a family this year. He and I have had some great discussions
• Has done very well to independently handle his school responsibilities 
• Draws very clever comics (I got him a blank comic book for Christmas, and it's so fun to see what he comes up with)

Daisy

Daisy has reached the "can't take a serious photo" 

phase of growing up

• Is 10 years old
• Sings all the time (sometimes this is how I find her in public bathrooms)
• Got to go skiing for school (a perk of being a 4th grader)
• Worries a lot and asks tons of questions
• Wants to take over my church calling (I always have to remind her that I am the music leader and she is not)
• Is a really good student. Her teachers have always said she stays on task and is kind to everyone (complete opposite of how she is at home)
• Thrives when she's in charge
• Is always gushing about how "cute" things are, especially animals

Zoe

Zoe living her best life 

• Is 7 years old
• Gets to go to primary activities now and absolutely loves it
• Is back in speech therapy and enjoys the one-on-one attention
• Is obsessed with penguins
• Won't say prayers or read scriptures with us but writes "I love Jesus" everywhere
• Has been behind in her reading skills but made some great progress this past week as something finally clicked!
• Set a goal (for primary) to read 100 books and is on 22
• Loves strawberries and Nutella
• Really enjoys first grade and gets very excited about things she gets to do at school
• Needs a lot of orthodontia (which I keep putting off because she is still traumatized from her tonsils. Ain't no one going near that mouth without a fight) (we are going with the most conservative care plan possible for her circumstances, but it will still be intense)
• Lets me do her hair sometimes but usually undoes it as soon as she gets to school
• Asks all the time if she can take ice skating lessons

A portion of Zoe's penguin collection

Eva

Oh yes, she's sassy!

• Is 4 years old
• Asks everyday if it's her birthday (it's going to be a long three months)
• Asks all day long if she can watch YouTube (the bane of modern-day parenting)
• Gets away with so much because she is the youngest (I truly believed I would never treat my kids differently based on their birth order. Ha!)
• Never eats her dinner (or any other food we prepare for her)
• Drinks way too much milk
• Is very cranky after school
• Has really long hair