Malan

Oh, this girl. I'm pretty humbled to be her mother. A few words about Malan...

She let me tag along on her class field trip as long as I walked fast enough that she could keep her sights on her crush, the smart, world traveler kid with the nice tan.

She's not really one to enjoy costume days at school, but she knows how much I love playing dress ups with my girls so she humored me on fifties day (and packed a change of clothes for later.)

Most days Malan asks if she can make something in the kitchen. She is the official dessert chef of our home but also can handle most breakfasts and lunches, and whips up a mean smoothie. It's interesting to see how different personalities in our family jive. Usually Olivia and Jane will pair off to play something imaginative, while Malan is definitely the queen at dispelling a bad mood for Emme by asking her to help make a treat or taking her off to a soft corner somewhere to read. She is well-loved by her sweet little cousin Maryanne because she dotes on her so lovingly.

 She has worked her way through most of the young adult novels we own, twice, and I can't seem to keep her in books from the library unless I go more often than I want to.

Emme, Olivia, and I went to cheer her on at her school field day where she ran the egg on a spoon race for her class. She was pretty pleased when I told her that I overheard her friend Evan and another boy saying cheerfully, "She's better at that than me!" "Yeah, way better!" 

In elementary school, I used to look forward to field day all year and I was surprised by how excited watching my daughter get to participate made me. I also loved watching Malan proudly introduce her little sisters to her friends and it was heartening to watch all the kids cheer each other on, and cheer extra loudly for kids who were behind or who fell or did something potentially embarrassing.
I am continually impressed by the great kids Malan attends school with here.

 Malan and her speedy friends won the relay race for the 3rd grade.

 Malan does not yet love practicing her violin. But she is fastidious and faithful about it, and I am loving the improvement I see. I really respect that she works so hard at it when it truly is such a difficult beast to master.

I am more impressed with this girl all the time. She is bright and responsible and diligent and kind.  By nature of her strong desire to do her best, she deals with some anxiety and stress, but she's also quite self-aware and knows when she needs to take a bike ride to get away or head over to her Aunt Katie's for some cheery chatting.

It was extra sweet to take her along with me to the General Women's Meeting of our church in April as it was one of those times where we get to be dear friends as well as mother and daughter.  We have our moments of course, as I assume all moms and daughters do, and I'm getting well-practiced at apologies (giving and receiving) and finding our groove again after the frustrating moments. But she is, as they say, simply a good egg and I'm so very glad she's ours.