Photo: Sue Glasshower
Anna had never been one to conform. She knows what she likes and she doesn’t care if others like it or not.
She’s an Oregon State Beaver fan in a town full of Oregon Ducks. She doesn’t care. One day, she decided she liked Beavers better than Ducks and orange and black more than green and gold. (She also tells me “it’s yellow, not gold!”) She’s all set to move to Corvallis when she turns eighteen and go to OSU.
I’m a Duck, but I’m glad she thinks for herself, and that she wants to go to college.
She wants to be a wildlife biologist when she grows up, so at least she picked the right school. Or maybe a photographer, or a rock star. It changes . . . a lot. But it’s not what other kids want. It’s what she wants.
Oh, and she’s no longer a princess. Okay, she’s still a princess sometimes, just not as much. And starting tomorrow she’s taking her National Wildlife Federation backpack to school instead of her princess backpack. Even though it’s green, and she likes orange better.
She likes all the colors, even the “boy” ones. She picks out her own clothes. Sometimes they match, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes she looks like she wandered into the closet and fell down. But through many different combinations of shirts, pants, skirts, and dresses, she has found a style all her own.
Photo: Julia Ozab
She wears mismatched socks, but only sometimes. Other kids are wearing mismatched socks too. It’s becoming a trend, though Anna was ahead of the curve. So now she sometimes matches, just to be different.
She likes to roller skate, but she doesn’t like skating backwards. Not yet, anyway. That might change, but if it doesn’t she may have to give up lessons for a bit and keep working on the stuff she knows—scissors and crossovers—and get faster going forwards around the rink. That’s all most of the kids do anyway. I don’t get it but she has fun.
She also loves swimming and will be taking swim classes again this summer. She did great last year, except for the backstroke. I’m getting the sense that she doesn’t like going backwards. Maybe because she can’t see where she’s going? Or perhaps she just want to keep going forward. Why go backwards? You’ve already been there.
She loves reading. Always has. And she’s the best reader in her class. Not surprising as the child of two avid readers (and one full-time writer). Maybe she’ll want to write as she grows older. She does love telling stories.
She loves science. Right now, her experiments and inventions are make-believe, but I can see that changing soon. She has an inquisitive mind, and as frustrating as that can be for a parent to constantly answer “Who?” “What?” “Where?” “When?” “Why?” and “How?” it’s encouraging to see her desire to learn.
Sometimes she asks silly questions just to be silly. We’re working on that.
She’s still learning the difference between “good silly” and “bad silly.” We’re working on that too. Her “good silly” is hilarious, by the way. She’s got a great sense of humor.
And there in a little over 500 words is a portrait of Anna. An adventurous, brilliant, and only sometimes color coordinated kid who’s been the center of our lives for over seven years. A kid that can do anything she puts her mind to.
I’ve already written a book about her, and I have a feeling I’ll be writing more of her stories in the years to come.
Stories about her progress in speech therapy.
Stories about her next surgery.
And stories about her mismatched socks.
What about you? Is there a story about your child you’d like to share? It’s your turn to tell me in the comments. Or you can link to a longer post if you like.
Fatherhood Etc. 
What a great post, and what a great relationship you have with your daughter. I love stories of how each parent cherishes and savors their relationship with their kids. We cherish every precious part of the character of our kids. It’s funny, in a sweet way, what you’re saying about your daughter’s independent thinking reminds me a lot of a new book I’ve been reading. It’s called “She Calls Me Daddy: 7 Things You Need to Know About Building a Complete Daughter,” by Robert Wolgemuth. He says, “I need to remind you of what you’re learning already. Your girl is a free agent. Nothing you can do will ever force her into a certain kind of thinking or behavior. Like it or not, there are no guarantees. There are no risk-free formulas. You’re dealing with a person who has her own agenda, her own mind, and her own will. Ultimately, she’ll think and do what she decides to think and do. However, and this is a big however, you can create an environment that gives you—and her—the best shot at success. There are certain things you can do that will raise your probability of success. That’s what this book is about—low-risk fathering.” It’s a great new re-released best-seller. I bet you would enjoy it. I certainly recommend it! Blessings to your family!
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