The most obvious thing about Brynn this year is her passion for cheer. No surprise, I've posted a bunch of stuff about cheer in the last couple of months. She just wrapped up her first season of comp cheer and I told Justin the other day that he better get used to it because it seems like cheer is going to be part of our lives for the next several years. Brynn loved going to the gym each and every practice. She loves flying. People ask me if she is afraid while she's up there and the answer is a resounding NO! She truly, truly, loves it. The girls on her team and her coaches love stunting with her. She holds herself so tight and makes their jobs as bases a whole lot easier. Another aspect that has been really fun for her this year is the social side of cheer. They are so good at cheering each other on as they are cheering! I've noticed that the atmosphere is really unique in that fact-they are all so supportive of each other. Each time I've observed Brynn interacting with her cheer team and coaches, there is a lot of hugging and encouraging going on. It's been a great environment for Brynn who is just as sweet as they come. They work hard, are exceptional athletes, get a lot done, and have a lot of fun together. It's been a really great thing for her. I will always be her #1 cheerleader in this sport for as long and wherever it takes her.
I wish I could just bottle up Brynn's personality. She has maintained an aura of innocence around her that you can't help but love and helps her to see the best in people around her. I don't really think I can recall ever hearing her say anything negative about anyone else. She is kind. She reaches out to those who would typically be left out, but she does it in way not to call attention to herself, just to do it.
Reading is not something Brynn really enjoys but she does like graphic novels and audiobooks. She has had to do a few book reports this year and sometimes she gets done really fast and sometimes she saves it for the last minute. Depends on how much she is liking the book.
Brynn is doing really well at school this year. She is self-motivated and I rarely have to remind her to keep up on her homework. I got this note from her teacher a couple months ago: "Brynn has been working so hard in class. She is a true scholar. She always tries her best. Brynn is also kind and helpful to everyone. Brynn is always learning at high levels and loves learning." We are glad that Brynn is our third child to have Mrs. Vanhouten, we think she is great!
Brynn has been having some separation anxiety issues. She is fine all day, going to school and cheer and everything, but night time is a different story. When I tuck her into bed, she wants to know exactly what I still need to do and how long until I go up to bed. She frequently calls out my name in a panic just to see where I am. If she falls asleep and then wakes up, she goes into panic mode. Her chest tightens up and her breathing is short (like a panic attack). It takes her a long time to get back to sleep. We're not sure where all of this is coming from, it kind of came on sudden at the beginning of this year. I spoke to the pediatrician about it and we are going to take her to a counselor to get some help for her. I'm hoping that she can learn some tools so that she can calm herself down and get herself out of those panic attacks. She is such an easy-going girl so this is a surprise for us with Brynn and it's super hard to be patient when I just want to go to bed.
I was surprised when I took Brynn school shopping last summer at how no-fuss she has become. She wanted just basic type clothes. She loves to wear athletic pants and is hanging on to a pair that she's had for a few years. I keep trying to pass them onto Ivy but she can't bring herself to part with them. They are a size 6 and only just recently getting too short.
Brynn and I have a love-hate relationship with her bangs. Meaning she loves them and I hate them. She is always wanting me to trim them and I am always wanting to grow them out and pull them out of her face. She is also wanting her hair longer these days instead of the shorter bob that she often opts for.
Her stats at her 11-year-old well check: 49 inches (-2.5%) and 48 pounds (-3.3%). She is by far the shortest and smallest in her grade but nothing new here.
Brynn will probably name her best friends as other girls at school but her best friend really is Ivy. Brynn still likes to make up games and Ivy is always a willing participant so they play with each other all the time. They fight a lot but that is just Brynn trying to be the boss and Ivy pushing back. They drive me crazy sometimes but I am happy that they have each other.
Brynn loves to snuggle!
Brynn's birthday interview:
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