It's hard to believe that I have a 12-year-old! At the same time, it seems like we've had Molly forever. She is an awesome girl and we are so blessed to have her in our family. I am truly enjoying this stage and think 12-year-olds are pretty fun!
Molly definitely has her own style and sense of fashion and it is completely opposite of mine. She knows what she wants and what makes her feel good and she doesn't ever try to conform to someone else's style. Mostly it's just jeans and a T-shirt but I love the little extras that she comes up with and, even more, I love that she wears whatever it is with confidence! She is always clean and modest-just don't ask me to pick anything out for her!
Molly has loved her Intro to Film class and it has really carried over at home. She is constantly getting her siblings and neighbors and friends and directing movies. I am probably a little biased but they are so clever and funny. Justin and I always check at night to see what newest scenes she has added to her movies. Her creativity sometimes astounds me...mostly because she did not get it from Justin or I!
Molly's newest love, to take the place of books and audiobooks, is podcasts. She has found some really good ones that she has been hooked on. Actually, this is a new family thing. Justin listens to some, I have a few favorites, Molly has hers, and we have a few that we like to listen to in the car on longer drives. Molly and Gavin especially like to exchange podcast ideas (and Ali is where I am getting all my favorites from too!).
Molly is a great baby-sitter and it has been a fun, new stage in our parenthood-life. We can go out to dinner or even to the temple and leave her with full confidence that all will be well at home. If we're going to be gone over dinner, I will get some pizza for her so she doesn't have to worry about doing that. Last week we made it to the temple and she baked frozen pizzas and then made some cake mix cookies as well. She had the kitchen all cleaned up and the kids were happily watching a movie when we got home. She is a gem! She really wishes that she would get hired out for baby-sitting jobs. I have every confidence that she would do great but I have told her not to expect many because of where we live. It's just not as convenient to come and get Molly from a quiet, dead-end street as it is to have another girl walk across the street in the more-crowded subdivisions.
Her favorite show is the old Full House (not the new one-don't watch that!). I introduced it to her a few months ago and she has made it through several seasons. I like when she watches it in the kitchen while I'm doing stuff so I can listen and reminisce. Studio C is also a favorite.
Molly is a social girl. She loves making plans with friends, having friends over, going out with friends, etc. If it's Friday and we have no where to go, you better believe that she is making plans with a friend or friends. Often they are at our house. Her curfew is 10 because: 1. She is still only 12, even if she feels much older; and 2. Her parents like to go to bed at 10, even on a Friday. She has fabulous friends and I enjoy each one of them. Justin and I have always wanted to make our home a place where our kids will bring their friends so I try to be as accommodating as I can.
The time that I always dreaded has arrived-when I have a kid who is old enough to potentially have a phone. Molly does not have a phone. We haven't felt that she is at the point where she needs one. We have an extra phone that used to be Justin's and we kept it when he upgraded last spring. We call it the kid phone and it is there for when we are gone and the kids are at home and occasionally Molly will take it if she is unsure when she is going to need a ride. I also let her take it sometimes when she doesn't necessarily need it but when I know all the other kids there will have a phone but she is very aware that it is not hers and that she needs permission to take it anywhere. The #1 thing that we have butted heads over in the last months has been the amount of time that she spends on the phone or her Kindle. She is a typical pre-teen and would spend way too much time on it if I let her so we sat down and agreed on a specified amount of time each day that she can be on a screen-and that is only after her required work is finished (piano, homework, reading, and a clean room). I don't enjoy this part of my kids growing up but we are wading through it the best we can. Molly is our guinea pig and we are learning lots with her!
Molly has done well in middle school and was excited to make the honor roll. This was not surprising to me. She got all A's and one B. She was mad about the B because it was in her film class and he had one assignment the whole term and the final grade was that one assignment. She tends to be a worrier and stresses about things before she really needs to stress about them.
Molly has enjoyed getting involved in the middle school's intramural sports. She has played kickball and spikeball and just joined a capture the flag team and dodgeball team. Her all-girl kickball team took third place out of the whole league where they played several all-boy teams.
Molly has a love of music and her love spans many genres. She likes more popular stuff, like Imagine Dragons, but also loves Billy Joel and Johnny Cash. Her playlist is extensive and fun and I love this about her!
Molly gave her first sacrament meeting talk on November 11th. She was told to talk about an attribute of Christ and she chose humility. She was overwhelmed at the task of actually writing a talk so we did it together. She was super nervous the morning of but she got up there and did a great job. She is glad that it's over though!
Molly is my chatty soul. She can talk and talk and talk when she's in the mood. Usually when I have picked her up from practice or right after school. I hope she always opens up and shares the ups and downs of her days!
Molly gave her first sacrament meeting talk on November 11th. She was told to talk about an attribute of Christ and she chose humility. She was overwhelmed at the task of actually writing a talk so we did it together. She was super nervous the morning of but she got up there and did a great job. She is glad that it's over though!
Molly is my chatty soul. She can talk and talk and talk when she's in the mood. Usually when I have picked her up from practice or right after school. I hope she always opens up and shares the ups and downs of her days!
Molly's birthday interview:
Favorite color: blue
Favorite movie: Princess Bride or Napoleon Dynamite
Favorite breakfast: gigantic cinnamon rolls that are bigger than my head
Favorite dinner: mini meatloaves and mashed potatoes
Best friend: Sam (Samantha Steiner)
Favorite TV show: Full House
Favorite scripture story: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Favorite book: Breakout or Harry Potter 4
Favorite game: Capture the Flag
Favorite story: world mythology
Other kids think that I am: funny
What do you like about your Mom? She is generous.
What do you like about your Dad? He is weird and funny.
What do you like about Stockton? He is smart.
What do you like about Brynn? She is special.
What do you like about Ivy? She is always so happy for me to be there.
What do you like about yourself? I am creative and imaginative. I like a lot of things about myself.
When I grow up I want to be: a kids author/illustrator
I like learning about: history
I want to go to: Africa
If I had one wish it would be: to go to Africa
Favorite thing to do: write
Favorite song: Piano Man, Don't Worry Be Happy, anything by Michael Jackson, Eye of the Tiger, anything by Billy Joel
What a cool girl!
ReplyDeleteSarah loves Full House too. It's sad that there's nothing on TV that I'll let my kids watch in the evening like we grew up with. Sarah got the Brady Bunch for her birthday and all my kids love it, especially Erica lol.