Our Family: Lacey's 5th Anniversary

Lacey turned 11 on June 24th. Because we were up in the mountains with no Wifi, I wasn't able to publish a birthday blog for her. Five years ago today, Lacey became part of our family. So, I decided to combine her birthday blog with a celebration of her fifth anniversary as a member of our family.

Sometimes, it's hard to believe that five years have passed since we first met Lacey. But, while it's easy to remember life without Lacey, it's hard to imagine life without her. Lacey used to frequently refer to Les, Cassie and myself as "you guys." She would ask a lot of questions about our previous lives such as, "Did you guys ever spend Christmas in Colorado?" I've noticed she seldom asks those questions now because she has become so much a part of the memories.

To celebrate her five years, I've chosen five words to describe Lacey. The first is "happy." Lacey has got to be the happiest kid I know. She gets up with a smile on her face each day and, regardless of how the day plays out, she continues smiling. Here are some pictures of Happy Lacey.

Happy

Lacey with a birthday cake. We were staying in a cabin at Orkney Springs.

Lacey in the car, claiming ownership of Cassie's old phone.

Lacey at violin camp

Lacey at dance class.

We stopped at Starbucks on our way to school. It was the coldest day of the year.

Resilient

Lacey is so resilient. No matter what happens, she keeps on trying. Maybe she just hasn't reached the age of being a "drama queen" yet. But, I suspect that she won't change. She approaches each task head on, without considering how difficult it might be.

Lacey's shortcut through the woods didn't work so well. She ended up in ankle-deep mud. So, she washed off her shoes and looked for a better shortcut.

Honest

Lacey is very honest and takes things very literally. I don't know if this is cultural, if it's related to her being a second language learner, or if it's just her personality. Implied questions can never serve as directives. I would never say, "Do you think it's time for bed?" Lacey would always say "no."

Les recently commented that he was going to clean the garage on Saturday. On Saturday morning I went outside and found that Lacey had emptied most of the garage. I asked what she was doing and she replied, "Daddy said that he was going to clean the garage today. I'm helping." That sure surprised Les.

Here are some other funny and honest "Lacey" quotes:

"I don't understand 99 percent of what Daddy says!"

While watching Cassie listen to the car radio, Lacey said, "I'll never understand the music that Cassie likes."

Last week I took the girls to a movie. During the saddest part, when all the other kids in the audience were sobbing, Lacey spoke up. "I think this part is supposed to be emotional," she declared.

During dinner one night Lacey exclaimed, "We won the war!" Les, Cassie and I exchanged glances, shrugged and continued eating.

One day, as Lacey was wiggling her fingers, she asked, "Who invented hands? They're so cool!"

Eager

No matter what she is doing, Lacey wants to get done as quickly as possible. We talk to her a lot about slowing down and enjoying the process of doing something and not just rushing through. No matter where we are, she has to be the first. She wants to be the first one in the house, the first one on and then off the escalator, the first one in the car, the first one to the table and the first one to finish eating.

Here is Lacey, eating a snack as she runs down a mountain path with her violin.

Why finish with the music if she can finish first?

Lacey is never afraid to try anything, even if she has little to no idea what she's getting into.

At the museum, Lacey leapt onto an antique bicycle.

I must ask Lacey to slow down at least a dozen times every day. I have to constantly remind her to slow down with her school work. I have wondered if maybe there is some special privilege, such as extra computer time or drawing time, awarded to the students who finish early. But, according to Lacey, there are no prizes. She just wants to be done.

In June, Lacey brought home some of her fourth grade workbooks. One composition book was titled, "Word of the Day." Lacey explained that every morning the teacher had put a word on the board. The students were to write a definition and then use the word in a sentence. The assignment was designed to keep the students busy at the start of the day and wasn't graded. Now, we are very sensitive to the fact that Lacey is still acquiring English and that she still lacks a lot of relevant background information. So, we waited until she was in bed to examine this notebook. I don't know when I've laughed so hard. This book really captures the essence of Lacey. It is full of sloppy handwriting, misspellings and incorrect definitions. My first reaction was to wish that she had tried harder and done a better job. But, she was allowed to get away with it. So, why not? Here are some examples from the notebook. I know that someday Lacey will look back and understand why this made me laugh so hard.

Word: ally
Lacey's definition: fight something
Lacey's sentence: When my Mom coke she lite me like spoon. (My translation: When my Mom cooks she lets me lick the spoon.) Does anyone see any relationship between Lacey's sentence and the word "ally?"

Word: aspire
Lacey's definition: a copen that can be used agin.
Lacey's sentence: James aspires to become a champion tennis player. (Good job copying, Lacey.)

Word: corridor
Lacey's definition: to do something
Lacey's sentence: Acid rain corrdes railroad tracks. (Okay, if you're going to copy, copy something that's correct.)

Word: hasty
Lacey's definition: bad desin
Lacey's sentence: I make a lot a hasty desion.

Word: majoy
Lacey's definition: ?
Lacey's sentence: My majoy is to fockas on my skills.

Word: bewilder
Lacey's definition: To live in the wilder.
Lacey's sentence: I am bewilder all the time.